This could be the start
of a beautiful friendship.
Buy a BlackBerry® Storm,™ and get any BlackBerry Smartphone Free!
Each phone requires new 2-yr. activation on voice plan with email feature, or email plan. While supplies last.

We are truly sorry that your reporter had to
endure verbal abuse by the Bohemian Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PR
man (Letters, April 15). Even more abusive are the
falsehoods they spread. The proposed logging plan
does indeed permit cutting old growth, even with the
so-called conservation easement.
It also seems apparent that a judge will have to
explain the law regarding eligibility for NTMPs to
CDF. The law states that the ownership cannot exceed
2,500 acres. It does not say more than 2,500 acres of
timberland. Past lawsuits have demonstrated that
CDF is legally challenged.
The Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claims about reducing fire danger
are also bogus. You can cut brush species without a
logging plan. Removing the large conifers, especially
the large redwoods which resist fire, will open the
stand to light and encourage growth of fire-prone
species. Their plan will increase, not decrease, fire
danger.

Contrary to statements in Bohemian Club
president Jay Manciniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter, the permit being
applied for runs in perpetuity with no further
opportunity for revision. Forty percent of the larger
conifers will be cut within the first 20 years alone.
Not all old growth trees have been identified or
protected. The Club has not worked â&#x20AC;&#x153;diligentlyâ&#x20AC;? with
the agencies. It actually hid the existence of significant
stands of old growth on the property until forced to
disclose them by the agencies.
Thinning the conifers will increase fire dangers
and make living near the Grove more dangerous. The
Bohemian Club does not need a perpetual logging
permit to thin tanoaks, a task supported by all parties.
The Bohemian Club could easily pay for necessary
hardwood thinning by charging its wealthy members
a few dollars per month.
For accurate information to refute Bohemian
Club flack Sam Singer and president Jay Manciniâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
inaccurate statements, please visit: http://
savebohemiangrove.org.

While we certainly believe in free speech, we do
not appreciate the recent article about Backdoor Disc
and Tape (â&#x20AC;&#x153;One Big Holiday,â&#x20AC;? April 15). We are not
a corporate monster that sucks the lifeblood out of
the local community, but rather four hardcore music
junkiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;old record guys, if you willâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who happen
to have purchased Backdoor as well as other indie
stores elsewhere in the country from owners who
were about to close them forever. In our eyes, we
saved these stores, preserved the culture and invested
in diversity, just like every other right-thinking indie
retailer in America who recognizes that the times are
in fact changing.
I am actually one of the founders of Record Store
Day, along with the indie coalitions and Newberry
Comics in Boston. Regarding the â&#x20AC;&#x153;transplantâ&#x20AC;? from
Alabama who was made manager, he also happens
to have worked in some of the best indie stores in the
country and, like any other business owners, we strive
to improve our stores, and, yes, that sometimes comes
with personnel changes.

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Gabe Meline responds: Thanks for writing. As I said in
the article, Backdoor remains an asset to the area, carrying
local CDs and partnering with local radio, with a staff
thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friendly and qualified. For these reasons, and because
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been shopping there since 1988, I carefully chose
to include it in a roundup of locally owned stores while
noting that it is not, as the Record Store Day site defines a
â&#x20AC;&#x153;participating store,â&#x20AC;? at least 70 percent owned in the state
of operation. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no question Backdoor changed when
it was sold to a national chain, but it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t become any less
a thread in the fabric of the local community.

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Thank you for the informative article on Bedrock
Music in San Rafael. It will help raise community
awareness of the nonprofit work we do with Four
Winds West. None of this could be accomplished
without the hard work and dedication of store
employees Dawn Hernandez and Justin Drabek,
who also provide vital training for our interns here at
Bedrock Music.

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While weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at it, please know that Vinyl Planet is best
found at 112 Washington St., Petaluma.

B20?458B7.
Some biologists charge that the striped bass are being targeted by water-starved central valley farmers eager to gain more Delta water.

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Is striped bass legislation nothing more than a diversion
from water diversion?
By Alastair Bland

C

hey are a nonnative invasive
predator. They came from the
Atlantic by train, in 1872, under
the wing of an ambitious bucket
biologist, and in the San Francisco
Bay estuary, that first colony of 300 baby
striped bass found a perfect environment.
The species exploded in number, and by
the 1930s an estimated 12 million of the
anadramous fish lived along the West Coast.
But this winter, the striped bass, which
has been a favored game fish for decades,
came under attack. Assembly Bill 1253,
introduced March 2 by Assemblywoman
Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield, aims to declassify
the species as a recognized game fish in
California. Her bill would delete â&#x20AC;&#x153;striped

bassâ&#x20AC;? from state documents, including the
Department of Fish and Game code, with
the intention that the species, if denied all
protective fisheries regulations, might vanish
from state waters.
Fuller blames striped bass as being one of
the primary causes of the Sacramento River
Chinook salmon fishery collapse, as well as
the dwindling of the much-discussed Delta
smelt. Her bill is scheduled for review by the
Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife on
April 28 in Sacramento.
Some biologists and sport fishermen
believe that AB 1253 is nothing but a
diversionary tactic designed to draw
attention away from San Joaquin Valley
water users, whom many conservationists
blame as the chief cause of environmental
ruin in the Delta. These same critics deny

that â&#x20AC;&#x153;stripersâ&#x20AC;? constitute the threat to native
fishes that Fuller says they do. A report
published in May 2008 in the Environmental
Biology of Fish analyzed the gut contents
of striped bass collected between 1963 and
2003. The authors, biologists Matt Nobriga
and Fred Feyrer, reported that Chinook
salmon never made up more than 1 percent
of fishes found in the bellies of dissected
striped bass.
Dr. David Ostrach, a UC Davis research
scientist, calls the idea of eliminating a single
predator from a complex ecosystem with
the supposed hope of assisting the recovery
of collapsed fish species â&#x20AC;&#x153;absurd.â&#x20AC;? Water
contamination, other invasive nonnative
species and freshwater diversions from the
Delta to San Joaquin Valley croplands
are the major causes of the collapse of
& &

hen the State of California held me
prisoner 2002 to 2003, the name
of the agency was the California
Department of Corrections, or
the CDC. Since then, for reasons unclear to
me, the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;rehabilitationâ&#x20AC;? has been added
to create a new acronym, CDCR. Neither
euphemism has any basis in reality.
Having had an inside view of San Quentin,
Old Folsom and the adjacent Level 4 facility,
New Folsom, I did not see any programs to
correct what caused inmates to be sent to
prison. Nor did I see any rehabilitation going
on that would help the convicts gain legal
employment once they were released.
We were told the guards were to be
referred to as correctional officers,
or COs. When I asked one of
the guards about this months
later, he gave me an honest
answer, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mariani, what
about you being sent
here would you like
me to correct? They
donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t train me to
correct anything
about you. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m
paid to guard you
to make sure you
donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hurt someone
or escapeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the end.
It says â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;COâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on my
shirt, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m paid
to guard you, not to
correct you.â&#x20AC;?
Another word
that took on new
meaning for me in
prison was â&#x20AC;&#x153;absconding.â&#x20AC;?
It was not a word that I
had run into often until I
was incarcerated. Most of the
inmates were back in for their
second, third or more time without
committing a new crime. They had been
out on parole and failed to show up for a
scheduled visit to their parole office to pee in a
cup for a drug test that they knew they would
fail. That act of â&#x20AC;&#x153;abscondingâ&#x20AC;? would generate
a warrant for their arrest. At state expense,
whenever and wherever they were located,
they were returned to prison.
A recent famous example of absconding
is Sara Jane Olson, aka Soliah. She was part
of the Symbionese Liberation Army in the
1970s and indicted in February 1976 for
planting bombs under police cars and for a
bank holdup in Sacramento where a female
customer was shot and killed. After she was
found guilty, Sara absconded and was not
located, rearrested and extradited to California
until 23 years later in June of 1999.
She was recently released after serving
her time. Yes, she was punished for what she

admittedly did, and was guarded while in
custody, but what was done to â&#x20AC;&#x153;correctâ&#x20AC;? what
she had done? When she was in custody, what
was done to â&#x20AC;&#x153;rehabilitateâ&#x20AC;? her?
Another CDCR euphemism is the
â&#x20AC;&#x153;literacy programâ&#x20AC;? at Old Folsom. The work
assignment I obtained that earned my dayfor-day halftime was as a literacy clerk. With a
civilian credentialed teacher as my supervisor,
I tested all new inmates to determine their
grade-level reading ability. I trained volunteer
inmate tutors and tutored inmates myself.
While being held at Folsom, I read in the
Sacramento Bee that the warden had bragged
to her Rotary Club about how this program
was helping to prepare inmates to find jobs
when they were released so that they would
not return to prison. However, out of the
entire inmate population, there was
only a budget forâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and room
in the Folsom library forâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;25
inmates. That number also
included all one-on-one
tutors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Correctionâ&#x20AC;? and
â&#x20AC;&#x153;rehabilitationâ&#x20AC;? was
being provided to 26
inmates, including
myself.
I was released
in 2003. Even
with written
recommendations
from my civilian
supervisor, I have
not been able to
get a job tutoring.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have you ever
been convicted of a
felony?â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will
do a background check
and require fingerprintsâ&#x20AC;?
is as far as any of my
applications have gone.
The CDCR does not train
inmates how to be electricians,
plumbers or painters. Inmates who
already have these skills try to get work
assignments to earn halftime and less than
$1 an hour. To let you know how the CDCR
values education, my literacy clerk job was
an unpaid work assignment. It did however,
earn me my halftime, which cut my two
years sentence to 13 months served. There is
something correct in that.

Tom J. Mariani, a Santa Rosa resident and published
freelance writer, has just completed 25 chapters of
â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Impugn? What About Reasonable Doubt?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; which
covers his 18-year career in bank management and
11 years in corporate risk-management, to a falsely
accused two-strike felon.
Open Mic is now a weekly feature in the Bohemian.
We welcome your contribution. To have your topical
essay of 700 words considered for publication, write
openmic@bohemian.com.

%.

10BB

the Sacramentoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fisheries, says Ostrach.
Yet striped bass make an ideal candidate
on which to cast blame.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The striped bass is the nonnative
fish that everybody knows. It may be an
introduced species, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coexisted with
salmon for a hundred years,â&#x20AC;? Ostrach says.
Assemblywoman Fuller, who
communicated with the Bohemian by email,
sees things differently.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;According to the California Department
of Fish and Game, over 1 million adult
striped bass exist in the Delta, while the
Central Valley Chinook salmon populations
have been reduced to just a couple of
thousand. To me, that does not illustrate two
species successfully coexisting.â&#x20AC;?
Executive director of the California
Sportfishing Protection Alliance Bill
Jennings says that overconsumption of water
by farmers in the San Joaquin Valley is by
far and away the leading cause of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
salmon fishery collapse. Each year, a busy
gauntlet of pumps along the Sacramento and
in the Delta send some 7 million acre-feet
of freshwaterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;plus uncounted incidental
minnowsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;southward into the San Joaquin
Valley, where Fuller is from. In fact, those
who support her bill include parties with a
pointed interest in accessing the Sacramento
Riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water, like the Kern County Water
Agency, the Modesto Irrigation District, the
Metropolitan Water District of Southern
California, the Friant Water Authority and
the Eastern Municipal Water District.
Jennings believes that what these groups
really want is more water.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;This bill is a smokescreen to hide the
real reasons that anadramous fishes are
disappearing,â&#x20AC;? he says.
Dr. Peter Moyle, a biologist at UC Davis
and one of the best-known fisheries scientists
in the West, says that predation by striped
bass upon salmon and smelt does occur to
a limited degree but mainly in fast-moving
diversions created by pumps and dams,
isolated man-made environments in which
striped bass can easily ambush wayward
salmon smolts and delta smelt. Otherwise,
Moyle says, predation by stripers upon Delta
smelt and Chinook salmon is negligible.
Doug Demko, a biologist with the private
consulting firm Fishbio and a supporter of
AB 1253, says that the limited numbers of
endangered fishes found in the bellies of
striped bass may only be a function of their
relative scarcity; there are almost none left
for the bass to eat, he says.
Demko points to a modeling system
developed by biologists with the National
Marine Fisheries Service, which predicts that
a given juvenile Chinook of the Sacramentoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
winter run faces a 9 percent chance of seeing
the gullet of a striped bass.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;But when you look at the real gut
contents of real striped bass, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just not true,â&#x20AC;?
Ostrach says.
Ostrach has committed much of his
career to studying striped bass, but he says he
has no self-serving motives for preserving the
species. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a fisheries biologist, my job is to
find out whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in the ecosystem. If
striped bass were really the cause of Chinook
salmon and Delta smelt declines, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be the
first to raise a red flag.â&#x20AC;?
But thirsty farmers were the first to
sound the alarm, and for some, like Ostrach
and Jennings, that seems just a bit too fishy.

appy Earth Day. I imagine celebrants
looking through green-colored
glasses like those donned by Dorothy
and pals in the Emerald City. But my
green is too vague for the likes of Alex Steffan,
author of Worldchanging: A Userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide for
the 21st Century. Steffan would make these
glasses fit his â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Environmental Spectrum,â&#x20AC;?
restricting the lenses to light, bright
and dark greens according to the
manner in which one sees the
solutions to environmental
problems. A light-green
environmentalist, according
to Steffan, advocates
taking â&#x20AC;&#x153;small, pleasant
stepsâ&#x20AC;? toward change
that is personal and
ultimately aggregate.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh honey, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earth
Day,â&#x20AC;? says Light Green.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s use our fabric
shopping bag today at
Whole Foods.â&#x20AC;?
Dark greens, Steffan
argues, are interested
in making changes on a
community level and are
not attracted to marketbased actions but in fact â&#x20AC;&#x153;pull
back from consumerismâ&#x20AC;? and
turn toward â&#x20AC;&#x153;direct connection to
the land.â&#x20AC;? I perceive these people to
be the original nature lovers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey babe, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Earth Day,â&#x20AC;? says Dark Green. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pick some
chard and sunflowers from the garden for the
community potluck tonight. I hear thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
going to be a roots band and a lecture about
permaculture.â&#x20AC;?
Steffan himself aligns with bright greens,
who are builders of better worlds and
gadgets. Got a failing planet? Design your
way back to stasis without giving up any of
the toys that bring happiness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bright Green
environmentalism,â&#x20AC;? Steffan writes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;is a call to
use innovation, design, urban revitalization
and entrepreneurial zeal to transform the
systems that support our lives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wow! Earth
Day again,â&#x20AC;? says Bright Green. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take the
Prius to the sustainable-architecture trade
show today. I want to study the blueprints
for the proposed eco-city and buy that new
metering device for our solar system.â&#x20AC;?
Steffan, whose work has been recognized
by the New York Times and the Wall Street
Journal, is clear to point out that his
categorization is not intended to divide green
thought into camps or suggest that green

thought is limited to one of the three hues.
Instead, we combine the shades, depending on
the circumstance or issue.
My favorite of Steffanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s categories is
actually the one he terms â&#x20AC;&#x153;gray,â&#x20AC;? because
it makes a tidy grouping of the dark-siders
who insist that there is no such thing
as global warming. Among the grays
are climate scientists who whore for oil
companies to distract public attention
from the scientific communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
unanimous acknowledgement
of climate change. Also in
the gray category are those
who take other kinds of
money for posturing as
science-minded skeptics,
constantly considering
the present crises
as a theory to be
analyzed, slowly, over
and over again while
â&#x20AC;&#x153;you all go on about
your businessâ&#x20AC;? (that
is, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take any
action).
Steffan locates what
he calls the â&#x20AC;&#x153;epicenter of
gray thinkingâ&#x20AC;? to be on
K Street in Washington,
D.C., where one finds
the â&#x20AC;&#x153;nest of lobbyists and
industry-funded think tanksâ&#x20AC;?
that provide reading and radio
material for graying the thoughts of
others. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Aw crap, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earth Day,â&#x20AC;? says Gray
Thinker. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll grab a styrofoam cup of coffee,
turn on all the electrical appliances in my
house and speed to work in my Hummer. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve
got to send off those scripts for Rush and draft
another global-warming-denial article for
George Will today.â&#x20AC;?
Just thinking about the grays helps
me laugh to keep from crying and better
appreciate the verdant tones with which we
approach our changing lives on a warming
planet. Steffen asks us to classify our own
thinking, to identify which shades of green
we are and why. I live most of the time in
the dark-green camp because I feel most at
home with natural systems and grassroots
solutions. But I celebrate anyone of any color
or camp who understands that we have a
planet to nurture back to health, be it in baby
steps, through community organizing or on
high-tech solar scooters. It would be absurd
to limit ourselves to one way of approaching
a problem. Any contribution is better than
denying we are in a crisis. We can leave that
drabness of mind to K Street.

Got a failing
planet? Design
your way back
to stasis without
giving up any of
the toys that bring
happiness.

<08=BCA44C
Yasheh Qawasmi
and her brother
Samir serve up
the Middle East to
West County.

BDI0==430;H

4bbT]cXP[4Pcb
Our highly subjective guide to the North Bayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s must-have comestibles
Compiled by Suzanne Daly, Gretchen
Giles, James Knight, Juliane Poirier
Locke, Gabe Meline, P. Joseph Potocki,
Lindsay Pyle and Hannah Smith
A lousy economy doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop the stomach from its
daily growl prowl. The pleasures of the public table
are huge, and we always like to leave the chopping
and washing to someone else. In considering this
yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resident Tourist Guide, we let our tummies do
the talking as we brainstormed those places, both big
and small, humble and grand, that are essential for
area eats. Tuck in and enjoy!
AngĂ¨le Restaurant & Bar Missing Paris and
canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get a f light to Europe? More often than
I can get away to France, I settle for a f light of
imagination and an elegant meal at AngĂ¨leâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s,
where the food and the setting are trĂŠs, trĂŠs bien.
This is the ideal place to be alone with someone
special, because only French kissing can evoke
a Seine-side fantasy as perfectly as the seductive
food, azure shutters, rustic cafe architecture, soft
lighting, small tables and, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky, seating
right beside the Napa River. (Why not phone
ahead to make sure you get lucky?)
The muted strains of Piaf f loat over your
dreamy date, the river glitters just outside the

window beside your small table, and the
magnificent cuisineâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;duck confit cassoulet,
French onion soup, glazed pork belly, hand-cut
pasta with Catalonian meatballsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;entices you as
brilliantly as could any cafe in Paris. Perhaps a
little more, as the menu offers fewer sauces and
more imagination. The wine list is sophisticated.
The night is young. Just do it. Joni Mitchell long
ago observed, â&#x20AC;&#x153;In France, they kiss on Main
Street.â&#x20AC;? In Napa, they go to AngĂ¨leâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. 540 Main St.,
Napa. 707.252.8115.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;J.P.L.
Main Street Deli A smiling Samir Qawasmi
and his sister, Yasheh, wrapped in a beautiful
and traditional princess hajab (head scarf), busily
dish up a Mediterranean feast for hungry errand
runners. Flanked by the post office and a dry
cleaner and steps away from a burrito shop and
bagel store, it is easy to miss the Main Street Deli, a
little oasis of Mediterranean delights in downtown
Sebastopol. Although a Palestinian, Qawasmi
serves traditional foods found throughout the
Middle East, from Lebanese meatballs and
pickled turnips to Greek dolmades and gyros.
The menu boasts a wide variety of wraps, salads
and sandwichesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;half Mediterranean and half
Californianâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all for the bargain price of $5.99.
Those in line order some of the homemade
favorites: a smoked turkey and pesto wrap with
provolone, a pastrami and melted Swiss panini

or the daily special, like Lebanese meatballs with
hummus, tahini and shatta, a Jordanian hot
pepper sauce. The deli is a wild conglomeration
of East and West, illustrated by the products for
sale in the store. Pomegranate molasses, rose
water, wild pickled cucumbers, and Lebanese
halawa (halvah) share shelf space with Moon
Pies, Skittles, Jelly Bellies, boxed soy milk and
canned Chicken of the Sea tuna.
A vast selection of cold drinks fills a walllength fridge case, and tables and chairs welcome
customers to stop and sit a spell in the clean dining
area. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to check out the dozen-plus prints
of old train stations in Marin and Sonoma counties
that hang crookedly on the wall. From Point Reyes,
through Petaluma, Marshall, Tomales, Sebastopol
and out to the river communities, diners fill up on
local history while filling their bellies.
After a delicious piece of melt-in-your-mouth
Baklava for dessert before resuming the rigors of
the day, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surprising to step outside and realize
that the Middle East is halfway around the world,
because the Main Street Deli brings it into our
own backyard. 280 S. Main St., Sebastopol.
707.824.0700.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;S.D.
Simply Vietnam Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never forget the first time
I stepped into the curious little building on the
corner of Dutton Avenue and Maxwell Court.
It was a taqueria then, years ago, in an
&+
THE BOHEMIAN

era when for some reason all the prevailing
taquerias in Santa Rosa had been coaxed
by heart specialist Dr. John McDougall into
offering his â&#x20AC;&#x153;McDougall menu.â&#x20AC;? I innocently
ordered a vegetarian burrito. I was served
a tortilla filled with cauliflower, baby corn,
lettuce, sliced carrots, broccoli and red onions.
I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t finish the thing.
It took years for me to venture through
those doors again, but it paid off. Simply
Vietnam has all but erased the atrocities of
yesteryear, offering inexpensive soups,
noodle dishes and curries that burst with
f lavor. In particular, its magnificent pho has
started an all-out localsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; war over which pho
is superiorâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Simply Vietnam or the longrunning Pho Vietnam, over on Stony
Pointâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and its ambiance is clean and
uncluttered. The portions are huge, and for
just $8, you can eat like royalty and still take
home half the plate for a midnight snack.
Oh, and you know that perpetually single
friend of yours? The one with the Asian-girl
obsession? Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let him come here or have
any interaction with the waitresses. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll
never want to leave. 966 N. Dutton Ave.,
Santa Rosa. 707.566.8910.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;G.M.
Toast It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get much more simple
than toastâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the best thing to happen to sliced
bread since the plastic bag. Appropriately
named after this basic breakfast
accompaniment, Toast, in downtown Mill
Valley, pays homage to the white, the wheat
and the rye by offering the basics in American
breakfast. And let it be said, the basics in
American breakfast serve for some as the very
stars and stripes of this country.
Just talk of scrambled eggs, bacon or
sausage, and a faint murmur of the American
anthem can be heard in the distance. Toast
plays to this formidable patriotic weak
spot. From biscuits and gravy to Benedicts
of all kinds, to omelettes and scrambles
and pancakes of many flavors, Toast leaves
nothing to be desired. It even offers Belgian
waffles, fried French toast, huevos rancheros
and breakfast pizzas, in case oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breakfast
tastes are slightly international.
While it is, for lack of a better phrase,
just a diner, Toastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall success must
be attributed to doing the basics, and
doing them well. Black and chrome
stools sit looking into an open kitchen,
tables and booths line the windows, and
classic American tunes sing quietly out
of a jukebox. It is clean and retro and
comfortable. Since the same space was home
to the Sunnyside Cafe for almost 12 years, its
retro-Americana theme is welcome, and a
bit refreshing since surrounding Mill Valley
hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much to offer in that department.
Tiny little Toast is tucked into that
little passageway of shops on Sunnyside,
seemingly aware that its glory is enjoyed
without great attention. The fact that
people from all over Marin go to Toast and
willingly wait for hours to be seated in the
pursuit of the American breakfast is all the
tribute it needs. Perhaps itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that Toast has
become, like its namesake, a sort of staple in
the American breakfast psyche, or at least

as far as Marinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concerned. Due to such
success, Toast has opened a second location
in Novato in order to accommodate all of its
adoring fans. This chic version of the classic
favorite promises to be the next â&#x20AC;&#x153;bestâ&#x20AC;? in
basic breakfast, again. 31 Sunnyside Ave.,
Mill Valley. 415.388.2500. 5800 Nave Drive,
Unit G, Novato. 415.382.1144.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;L.P.
Olive & Vine The old converted winery
hugging the shady creek that we now call
Jack London Village in Glen Ellen houses a
cheesemonger, a chocolatier, a custom olive
oil press and three good restaurants. Among
the latter, Olive & Vine especially shines.
This high-ceilinged, eclectically furnished
space boasts an open kitchen, as well as a
wine bar off to one side.
The eye wanders from place to thing to
odd item, before meandering up to the daily
menu board to order. The menu can change
daily, but some items consistently show up.
They offer a quiche of the day, housemade
pizzas, Southwest chicken burgers, Thai fish
burgers, a pulled barbecue pork sandwich,
ahi tuna burgers with Asian slaw, and a slew
of paninis, including a killer Black Forest
ham with Brie and fig chutney. The rosemary
chicken panini is served with red-pepper
fennel relish. Each lunch item comes with a
salad from a choice of 10 for $10 to $11.
The four-salad plate is a personal
favorite; choosing just four is the hard part.
The plate gets served with a healthy slice
of grilled Della Fattoria bread. For dessert,
Olive & Vine bakes all manner of openfaced fruit crustadasâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;pear and blueberry,
rhubarb or whateverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as well as
assorted cakes, souff lĂŠs, tartlets and honeydipped bran muffins.
Each Friday, the restaurant showcases
top-notch North Bay musical artists from
7pm. A special menu accompanies the music
and the house charges no cover. These are
SRO nights, so get there early. 14301 Arnold
Drive, Ste. 3, Glen Ellen. 707.996.9150.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;P.J.P.
Sol Food There are two Sol Food
locations just one block away from each
other, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty much all about the
smaller Fourth Street Sol Food, especially in
the waning late hours on Friday or Saturday
nights. Cramped around the towering foliage
in the corner lot next to the tattoo shop and
the dry cleaner, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always a good crowd
of hungry nighttime denizens, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll answer
right here and now the question they all ask:
no, Sol Food does not sell beer (and no, you
canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t legally bring your own inside).
The Puerto Rican fare at Sol Food has
sparked a bona fide Bay Area sensation.
Friends of mine often drive 45 miles simply
to dine on their pan-fried pork chops, their
marinated chicken thighs and their chorizo
and ham sandwiches. Bottles of explosive
hot sauce homemade with 12 different
peppers make zesty dishes even zestier,
and vegan and vegetarian options abound
with plenty of rice and plantains. Limeade
and iced tea are made in-house, and the
reasonably priced menu offers much for
the curious. (Want just one plantain tostĂłn?
Have it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only $1.25.)
It must be also noted that the dĂŠcor is
lovely, with walls made from old recycled
doors and shutters and salvaged metal chairs

IE

R!

Tqsjoh!Tqfdjbmt

Cheese is good food

Vella Cheese Company Ignazio â&#x20AC;&#x153;Igâ&#x20AC;? Vella insists that
the Sonoma bridge named in his honor resulted from
his decades of county and community service. Still,
there canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be many traffic spans honoring a master
cheesemaker. Well, perhaps in France.
While tourist hordes invade the Sonoma Cheese
Factory on the Sonoma Plaza, locals amble a few
soothing blocks east to taste crumbly aged dry jacks, raw milk cheddars and Italianstyle table cheeses in the quietude of the old stone brewery building in which Igâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
father, Tom, first opened his Vella Cheese Company back in the last Great Depression.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started working here when I was four years old,â&#x20AC;? Vella says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My dad and I would
drive into San Francisco to deliver our cheese, especially in North Beach, where most of
the Italians and the French lived. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d throw the cheese from the truck to him.â&#x20AC;?
The Vellas have never used animal rennet in any of their cheeses. Vellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vegetablecoagulated cheeses contain only about 1 percent salt, and the edible rinds get rubbed with
cocoa, black pepper and vegetable oils.
While Vella cheeses are definitively old-time artisanalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and they have a wall of gold
metals to prove itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Vellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2007 Sustainable 6 environmental award illustrates just how
innovative green technologies like the photovoltaic solar panels installed on the roof of
his creamery complement time-honored techniques of a craftsman.
Fittingly, last year Ig Vella was also honored by the trendy and yet back-to-timeproven-basics Slow Food International folks. Carlos Petrini, founder and president of the
organization, sent along a letter accompanying the award acclaiming Vella for â&#x20AC;&#x153;work that
is helping to improve food that is good from an organoleptic [i.e., taste, smell, sight and
feel] point of view, that is sustainable for the environment and fair
at a social level.â&#x20AC;? And if these many hosannas werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough, the Slow Food award gives
Ig the perfect excuse to squeeze â&#x20AC;&#x153;organolepticâ&#x20AC;? into his next acceptance speech. 315 Second
St. E., Sonoma. 707.938.3232.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;P.J.P.
Jose Matos Cheese Factory Nothing says â&#x20AC;&#x153;Resident Touristâ&#x20AC;? quite like the Jose Matos
Cheese Factory, which offers a perfect opportunity to whisk visiting relatives through the
rural Sonoma County that still exists in small word-of-mouth locales.
Jose and Mary Matos, a couple from Portugal, make only one kind of cheese, the
St. George, at their small farm off Llano Road, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only delicious but fantastically
applicableâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had equal success using it on pizzas, burritos, sandwiches and huevos
rancheros. Even better is that buying the stuff is a true backroad adventure.
Drive on Llano Road until you see the Jose Matos sign, just south of Todd Road.
Lumber down a bumpy dirt road, past cows grazing udder-deep in manure, and past
large diesel gas tanks for the tractors, all the way to the end. Veer left and park next
to the large pile of moldy grapefruit. One of the small buildings will have a tiny
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Openâ&#x20AC;? sign in the window. Pull the door and hear the unceasing rattle of a very loud
bell, alerting the presence of a visitor.
Inside, a diminutive woman will eventually appear in a hairnet, slice off a sample of
the cheese from the rustic display case, and silently hand it over. Tell her how much youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d
like to buy, and sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wrap it up, seven bucks a pound, cash or local check only. Make
sure to crane your neck into the back room, where shelves upon wooden shelves hold
hundreds of rounds of the aging cheese, and once outside, avoid the arrival of convertible
PT Cruisers piloted by winetasters in Bermuda shorts eager to have the same authentic
rural farm-tour experience. 3669 Llano Road, Santa Rosa. 707.584.5283.
â&#x20AC;&#x201D;G.M.

painted yellow and turquoise. A human
touch comes via faded sepia photos of the
ownersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; family back in Puerto Rico, tucked
beneath the front counter glass, like little
friends whose lives intersect with yours
while you finish your JĂ­baro sandwich.
Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve shamelessly fallen in love with the
one near the register that bears a beautiful
Puerto Rican resemblance to PJ Harvey.
732 Fourth St. and 901 Lincoln Ave., San Rafael.
415.451.4765.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;G.M.

Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wine Country Deli
Anyone whose email address begins with
â&#x20AC;&#x153;moregarlicâ&#x20AC;? is, by definition, a master of
robust living. Just crack the door to Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Wine Country Deli, and a manly blast of
smoked meat and garlic hits the carnivoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
nostrils with the subtlety of a sledgehammer
pounding a thumbtack.
Plastic canisters chock-full of eight
assorted thick, chewy and yet surprisingly
&soft and tender beef and turkey

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jerkies provide pilgrims a delicious workout
oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jaw and taste buds wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t soon forget.
Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s justifiably renowned jerkies are
each marinated before drying, injecting
intense f lavor into each and every bite.
Before deciding on a mile-high smokedchicken salad sandwich with a side of
seriously toothsome macaroni salad, or
anything else from Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s range of extreme
deli offerings, try a chip or two piled high
with his sweet and garlic-spicy salsa, his garlic
mustard, marinara or barbecue sauce, and
definitely pop a few of his garlic-stuffed olives
and signature pickled garlic cloves, all of
which are abundantly laid out free of charge.
Hell, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re full before you hit the register.
But we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet broached the salivaprompting topic of Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exquisite smoked
bacons, hams for two, smoked chops, whole hog
and fowl products, or his 22 different smoked
and fresh sausage offerings. Whew, buddy!
Angelo Ibleto came to the North Bay
from Genova, Italy, 30 years ago. Locals drop
by Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smokehouse off Old Adobe Road
on the outskirts of Petaluma to chat with the
amiable man himself, but for an exceptional
deli experience head to Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wine
Country Deli. The humble outpost squats
amid the splendor of Carneros wineries across
from Gloria Ferrerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rather more elegant digs.
While Gloria boasts the fancy gate, a long
winding drive and palatial spread poking
out from the hills, Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deli has his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
eat!â&#x20AC;? fiberglass cow standing out front as its
warm and friendly greeting. Peruse the rogueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
gallery of Angelo fans hanging on the wall
as the cashier rings up your order. Question
is, does Tippi Hedren exact her revenge by
ravishing his smoked chicken sausage, turkey
jerky or one of Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plump and juicy little
smoked game hens? Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wine Country
Deli, 23400 Arnold Drive, Sonoma. 707.938.3688.
Angeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meats, 2700 Adobe Road, Petaluma.
707.763.9586.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;P.J.P.
Fish Perched like a pelican over the
backside of the Sausalito bay, Fish looks
more like a bait and tackle shop than a
sustainable seafood restaurant (for good
reason; Fish actually shares a bathroom with
the bait and tackle shop next door). It is a
fish â&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; chips joint, so its exterior plays the
part. The interior keeps character, too, with
cement f loors, large wooden tables where
guests eat communally and a glass display
case offering fresh fish to take home. Guests
come into the little sea shack; wait in line to
order the freshest fish and chips, ahi poke,
clam chowder, fish tacos or catch of the
day; take a number, maybe help themselves
to some water from the tap near the large
bay windows looking out onto the foggy,
turbulent sea; and sit to await their feast.
Offering only seafood that is sustainably
caught in California, Fish hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offered wild
salmon for the last year and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t buy farmed
salmon. On every table there is a f lyer
explaining why farmed salmon is entirely
unworthy of eating. Why Fish makes the
local favorite list is simple, though: Their
food is just good, serving up perfect comfy
meals for Sausalito days. Cash only.
350 Harbor Drive, Sausalito. 415.331.FISH.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;L.P.

18

04.22.09-04.28.09

THE BOHEMIAN

Cafe Citti I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe it when a
friend suggested we go to lunch in Kenwood.
Admittedly, all Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d known about the town
was its annual Fourth of July pillow-fighting
championships and a seriously cool old train
depot that Van Morrison was rumored to
have played at in the late â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s. But food in
Kenwood? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d guessed that it was all pretty
froufrou. I was wrong.
Cafe Citti looks like a simple roadside
stop on Highway 12, and once inside, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll
order at the front counter of a down-home
style room complete with fireplace and stray
newspapers. Then your food will arrive, and
thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where things change. Everything about
the place is no-nonsense and unpretentious,
and the prices are incredibly modest, but
the food is right up there with the upscale
restaurants of the Sonoma Valley. That first
visit, I got a leek frittata sandwich on focaccia
with pesto mayo, and was soaring.
Rotisserie chicken and pasta salads
highlight a menu on which no item is priced
over $16.50, and ciabatta bread, in-house
caesar dressing and homemade mozzarella is
available to take home after desserts of
tiramisu or chocolate mousse. The outdoor
patio is lovely during the day, and wine from
an extensive list is served in short little cups.
Short little cups! Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never look at Kenwood
the same way again. 9047 Sonoma Hwy.,
Kenwood. 707.833.2690.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;G.M.
Pupusas Salvadorenas For the last
two-and-a-half years, the best-kept secret in
Santa Rosa has been the excellent Pupusas
Salvadorenas, where the food is delicious,
the prices are dirt cheap and the experience
unforgettable. The pupusaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a masa tortilla
filled with pork, beans, cheese and sometimes
lorocco, a vine flower budâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;has been a staple
in El Salvador for over 3,000 years. Topped
with a coleslaw-like curtido and spiced tomato
sauce, it is slowly making its way north.
At Pupusas Salvadorenas, pupusas are
only $2 each, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be full after eating
just two. The inexpensive menu invites
exploration, with great results. Take a
random stab and try the pasteles (a plate
of fried mash pies stuffed with chicken and
potato) or, for dessert, the nuegados (fried
mash yucca served with honey and hot sour
sauce). Possibly the most delicious thing on
the menu is also the simplest: the tamal de
elote con crema, a subtly sweet corn tamale
with cream for just $1.75. How can you lose?
Now with an expanded menu and hours,
the unassuming little haven across from the
fairgrounds is better than ever. Pupusas are
individually handmade to order, so during
busy spells they take a little longer, and
itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s helpful to know beforehand that your
waitress doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bring a check. Just approach
the register when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to leave.
Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be back. 1403 Maple Ave., Santa Rosa.
707.544.3141.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;G.M.
Tomales Bakery Nestled at the
crossroads of Highway 1 and Dillon Beach
Road, Tomales Bakery is the perfect stopping
point on a backroads escapade through the
coastal beauty of Marin County. Visitors
f lock to this little gem located across the
street from the general store and kittycorner from the Tomales Not a Bank
Building. Some come solely for the Puff

B_TRXP[BPdRT
Drive-ins to die for

Pickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drive-In It was the end of the Cloverdale Citrus Fair parade, senior year. My
friend Kim and I settled into a booth at Pickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drive-In and started talking. What would
happen after we graduated? Where were we going? Why did the future have to be so
uncertain? Would we still keep in touch?
Every time I visit Pickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drive-In, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m reminded of this classic teenage conversation.
I am glad Pickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is still there, serving up the same classic American drive-in food on the
same strip of road thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gone from highway to desolate boulevard to thriving Main Street
in what seems like such a short span. While Cloverdale institutions like the Redwood
Drive-In and the Wheel Cafe have closed, Pickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has weathered the years.
If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to settle in for a full meal, Cloverdale has the gas-station-turnedroadside stop Hamburger Ranch up the road a bit, recently renovated with an outdoor
dining area overlooking some vineyards. But if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just passing through and want
a quick bacon cheeseburger, or if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s after the parade and you need to talk about
your future, Pickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is the place. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been over 15 years. Kim and I are still best friends.
117 S. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale. 707.894.2962.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;G.M.
Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Automatic Refresher Locals go to Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for great, guilt-free hamburgers
and other fine foods to enjoy with a beer. We go because the food is great and the
atmosphere fun, but we also know that by eating here we are avoiding not only a
ticket from the nutrition police, but
also ditching those horrible huts
where food is cheap and the business
practices for land and organisms
range from unconscious to cruel.
Imagine a burger and fries that costs
several times the price of fast food
and is worth even more in flavor,
ingredients and sustainability points.
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the menu at Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, where
the food may be convenient, but it is
also fabulous, fresh, fairly priced and
eco-friendly.
The burger is made only from
Niman Ranch beef, the produce is mostly local and frequently organic, and the
ubiquitous greenware made of plant fiber is so earth-friendly that it fairly composts itself.
The only thing you throw away at this place is the cap from a beverage container. They
even compost the last bite of burger you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t finish. If you prefer fish tacos, Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
even beats the locals-only taco truck parked in a location I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leak to the pressâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even if
I am press. At Oxbow Public Market, 644 First St., Napa. 707.224.6900. Also, 933 Main St., St.
Helena. 707.963.3486.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;J.P.L.
Sequoia Drive-In Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about the fries at Sequoia, hand-cut real potatoes roughly
hewn, deeply fried and massively dispersed. The small bag of fries is enough for three,
which is why my family of four always orders two. The hamburgers come in single and
double sizes, the clam chowdaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x201D;their cuteness, not mineâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is homemade, and the shakes
are scooped from cardboard tubs and made fresh. A real treat in the summer, as all the
seating is outdoors on picnic tables, Sequoia is just fine for takeout in the winter, the
hungry salivater huddling in a warm car waiting for the order. The smell of fries can take
a full day to seep out of the car, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OK because such golden goodness deserves to
be remembered. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the fries. 1382 Gravenstein Hwy. S., Sebastopol. 707.829.7543.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;G.G.

Locals Spa Pass
Locals receive

Daddies, f laky cinnamon popovers made
with filo lightness, and a cup of freshly
brewed Taylor Maid coffee.
Passing through the bakeryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doorway
painted with bright red opium poppies is
like stumbling down the Easter Bunnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hole
into a giant colored egg. Painted grass-green
and pale, sunshine yellow, the counter top
is tiled in pinks and purples, with a bright
bouquet of spring tulips in an aqua mason
jar. Glass cases f lank the counter, filled with
brownies, croissants, muffins and fragrantly

delicious cinnamon, pesto or Gorgonzola
twists hot out of the oven.
Pizette and calzone are available by
11am, just in time for the lunch crowd. Grab
a seat at the one table inside or eat out on
the patio in the burgundy or forest-green
Adirondack chairs, with crumb-seeking
birds and large potted plants for company.
The friendly staff and sweet or savory treats
will fend off hunger and brighten the pause
before the next leg of the adventure.
'%
Keep in mind, the place closes when

it sells out, and it always sells out.
27000 Hwy. 1, Tomales. 707.878.2429.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;S.D.
Sukhothai Coming from a small town
with the diversity of cardboard, I had never
tasted Thai food until I came to Sonoma
County four years ago. I soon became an
addict, using any special occasion as an
excuse to go out for coconut milk and curry
powder. I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been to Sukhothai since
it was known as Bangkok Boulevard, but
when a friend, as sadly sheltered as I used to
be, revealed she had never tried Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
exotic tastes, I took her under my wing and
out to try the restaurant.
Sukhothaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s menu has all the essentials:
pad Thai, drunken noodles and, of course,
moderately priced spicy to mild curries. I
opted for the classic pad Thai with chicken,
while the mild yellow curry with potatoes
and carrots tempted my friend. My pad Thai
looked scrumptious with crushed peanuts
on the side, bean sprouts on top of the spiced
aromas of chicken and noodles, and a
spiraled orange slice atop a tiny cabbage
salad. I took a bite and immediately let out
an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, wow!â&#x20AC;? while my friend poured her
fantastic-looking curry on a mound of
brown rice and began to dig in.
We were so immersed in our food that
we dined solely to the noises of furious
eating until I found that my pad Thai did
indeed have chicken, as well as at least 10
pieces of tofu. Had the cooks run out of
chicken and decided to trick me, thinking
thatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; with its disguise of no texture or
tasteâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t notice the tofu? Being
from the world of burgers and fries, my
friend and I were unaware of the rules of
world food. We saved face by pretending we
knew exactly what was going on.
A few days later when I again ordered the
pad Thai (told you I was an addict), I found out
that the tofu was actually a regular ingredient
in the dish. I felt silly, but kept eating because
the food was amazing and, really, a little tofu
never hurt anybody. 6358 Commerce Blvd.,
Rohnert Park. 707.584.5091.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;H.S.
Grateful Bagel The ideal eatery for a
high school student has to meet a few key
requirements: it must be affordable and
filling, and a student must be able to get
there, order, eat and return to school in the
half-hour length of a lunch period. Funnily
enough, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also the ideal eatery for most
workers. Given such criteria, the Grateful
Bagel is far and away the best option for
those daring enough to slip past Analy High
Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s security and off the closed campus or
those needing a quick snack in a busy office
day. Upon entering the tiny and usually jampacked bagel store, customers are amused by
a mural of an angel-borne Jerry Garcia, in a
representation of Michelangeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s God from
the Sistine Chapel, reaching out to a tightywhitey-clad Adam with a bagel in hand.
If the wallet is really thin, arrive a little
before 4 in the afternoon, when you can get
their day-old bagels for half-price or two-dayold bagels for free. The worker is served! My
sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice for the student caught returning
to campus, bagel in hand? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Offer up the
bagel to the narc. Chances are heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll let you

Come Home to
Sonoma County

David Peoples
Residential Real Estate

707-486-5037
PeoplesHomes.net

20

04.22.09-04.28.09

THE BOHEMIAN

4BB4=C80;40CB

off the hook for a few delicious bites.â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
something to be grateful for. 300 S. Main St.,
Sebastopol. 707.829.5220.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;S.D.
Himalayan Tandoor & Curry House
Mention this place, and the fortunate diners
who have eaten there immediately rave about
the naan. The warm, Indian flatbread served
with meals to sop up curry and other sauces
is indeed delicious and slightly chewy, with
choices of cilantro, cheese and garlic flavors. But
naan is not the only menu item to salivate over.
Meals typically start with a small but hearty
cup of daal, a nourishing lentil soup flavored
with bits of green onion. Starters include meat
or vegetable momos with a delicious dipping
sauce, the Nepalese version of pot stickers, or
a plate of two hefty samosas, filled with peas
and potatoes. This alone satisfies the vegetarian
in the group, but the omnivores ought not to
forgo the chicken tikka masala or spicy lamb
vindaloo. The creamy masala sauce, rich over
rice, balances well with cucumber raita and a
bit of mango chutney.
Wearing broad smiles, the staff welcome
customers, and the pleasant and relaxed
atmosphere infuses itself into diners like tea
leaves steeping in a ceramic cup of steaming
water. The owners, transported from Nepal
to Berkeley to Sonoma County, have now
opened a second restaurant in Petaluma. And
no wonderâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;with ethnic food this tasty, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best
to share the wealth. Bellies and pocketbooks
will feel comfortably full after eating, and for
that we say namaste. 969 Gravenstein Hwy. S.,
Sebastopol. 707.824.1800. Also, 220 Western Ave.,
Petaluma. 707.775.4717.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;S.D.
Taqueria Las Palmas When Las Palmas
opened five years or so ago, I was so awestruck
that I very seriously entertained the idea
of writing a glowing review, making 200
photocopies and distributing it to every house
in the neighborhood to inform them that
Santa Rosa had a new second-best taqueria.
El Favorito on Sebastopol Road will always be
first-bestâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even try to challenge itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;but
you know somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up when the indie
hipsters and wine country foodies all agree:
Las Palmas is a jewel among taquerias.
The key difference at Las Palmas is fresh,
fresh, fresh. Whether grabbing their addictive
chilaquiles in the morning, their alambres on
particularly hungry nights or a quick torta for
lunch, everything that comes from their long,
narrow kitchen is prepared with top-shelf
ingredients. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been eating at other
taquerias for years, your taste buds will be
amazed at what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been missing.
At this point, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had everything on
Las Palmasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; menu. In five years, I have never
been let down. The chicken mole plate is to
die for, the huevos rancheros are spot-on and
the enchiladas are heaping. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also hard not
to love a place with two separate varieties
of vegetarian burrito, and if you just want
a hamburger with fries, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even cheaper
than a burrito. One word of warning: if you
order the spicy shrimp el diablo tacos, and
you foolishly accept the offer of â&#x20AC;&#x153;extra hotâ&#x20AC;?
in a one-upmanship game of ÂżQuien es mas
macho? with your friends, prepare to walk
around in a psychedelic cloud of habaĂąero
haze for a good hour or so afterwards.
No joke. 415 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa.
''
707.546.3091.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;G.M.

4bbT]cXP[D_bRP[T

Once again we remind: There is more to dining than falafel
Estate Sondra Bernstein of the Girl and
the Fig reinvented the former Generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Daughter into a modern gathering spot with
an enormous menu. Browse and nibble,
and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid to experiment with
offbeat bites like braised tripe in tomato
sauce topped with a crispy farm egg, or
chicken livers tossed with bitter greens and
grappa currants. The wood-fired pizzas
rock. 400 W. Spain St., Sonoma. 707.933.3663.
Bottega Michael Chiarello is a TV star
who reminds us heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first and foremost a
chefâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;though the glamour is ever-present,
too. High-energy Italian-style translates to
fabulous food and dĂŠcor, such as a gargantuan
lamb shank thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been braised to velvet in
goat milk and then gilded in garlic, fennel,
sweet onions and roasted wild mushrooms.
6525 Washington St., Yountville. 707.945.1050.
Restaurant Eloise Chef-owners Eric
Korsh and Ginevra Iverson come from
the acclaimed Prune in New York. But
here theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made it all about Big City
Sonoma, with local ingredients turned into
sophisticated stunners such as mushrooms
with poached eggs on toast, and marrow
bones you scoop out with a tiny spoon.
2295 Gravenstein Hwy. S., Sebastopol.
707.823.6300.
Scopa Nonnaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tomato-braised chicken.
Need we say more? Italian comfort food
gets even more cozy in this warm, tiny spot,
with husband-and-wife team Ari Rosen
and Dawnelise Regnery Rosen hovering
attentively nearby. The housemade
cannelloni is a must, stuffed with creamy
ricotta and baked in deeply savory Bolognese.
109-A Plaza St., Healdsburg. 707.433.5282.
Marinitas In the mood for Monkey Love?
Stylish South American sizzles, with
regional Mexican and pan-Latin plates
alongside Chilean wines and funky
cocktails like that Monkey Love mix of
platinum and dark Myersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rum, hibiscus,
pineapple and orange. Chef-owner Heidi
Krahling kicks loose with uncommon (and
uncommonly good) bites like Yucataninspired Alaskan cod with corn cakes in
pumpkin-seed vinaigrette, plus crispy tacos
in nopales salsa. 218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd.,
San Anselmo. 415.454.8900.
Madrona Manor The estate-genteel
decor and formal gardens belie the
modern cooking going on inside. Chef
Jesse Mallgren shows off with sous-vide
and liquid nitrogen ice cream, but also

nails the classics. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never had an egg
like this, slow-cooked to a sensuous custard
touched with Banyuls vinegar and resting
on onion veloutĂŠ. 1001 Westside Road,
Healdsburg. 707.433.4231.
Murray Circle If you could eat the view,
youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be fat and happy indeed at this
luxury spot within Cavallo Point Lodge at
Fort Baker. But focus instead on the
opulent tasting menus from chef Joseph
Humphrey. Ă&#x20AC; la carte is another enticing
option, perhaps the Eggs, Fish and Fowl,
combining pheasant egg topped with
Parmesan foam and black caviar;
a hard-cooked partridge egg on chive
crĂ¨me fraĂŽche dotted with coral salmon
roe; and a fried quail egg capped with sea
urchin roe over grilled leeks and bacon.
602 Murray Circle, Sausalito. 415.339.4750.
The Restaurant at Meadowood Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re
eating overlooking a resort croquet course
and paying up to $155 for an eight-course
tasting menu. Yet chef Christopher Kostow
keeps things relatively down-to-earth in
this swank setting, offering up enticements
like slow-cooked round of beef tenderloin
paired with brioche gnocchi, smoky grilled
chicories and morels. If a dish sounds
interesting, order itâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely one-of-akind. 900 Meadowood Lane,
St. Helena. 707.967.1205.
Nickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cove The setting is sumptuous,
sprawling out to pylons above the Pacific.
Yet the food quickly distracts, even when
itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as simple as Bodega Bay Dungeness crab
cakes served as a trio of luxuriously meaty,
golden-edged disks tinged with fennel and
resting on a puddle of bright Meyer lemon
aioli. One of the most hugely satisfying
plates is the cheeseburger and fries. 23240
Hwy. 1, Marshall. 415.663.1033.
GGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earth & Surf Restaurant The cafe
is green-certified by Thimmakka (look it
up), serving green-inspired food that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll
want to eat up. The emphasis from owner
Suzan Fleissner and chef Trevor Anderson
is thoroughly on seasonal organic produce,
with all ingredients sourced from within
150 miles of Santa Rosa. No meat, but
delish fish, such as sautĂŠed striped bass
with olive ravioli, citrus butter and
artichoke. Dive into wicked diversions such
as pistachio ricotta pancakes with fresh
mandarin ginger honey. 630 Third St., Santa
Rosa. 707.528.1445.
Carey Sweet

program, starts July 10, 2009
The courses have been â&#x20AC;&#x153;developed in adherence to the
American dance therapy association guidelines for
ADTRs teaching courses to alternate route students.â&#x20AC;?

The Boathouse Driving out to the
beaches of Bodega Bay, the salt air hits my
nose in a wave. Several upscale, touristclogged restaurants call out with promises
of fresh fish, but we are lured farther out,
hooked on a line tugging towards Salmon
Creek. We eagerly clamber out of the car
and onto the warm sand, wind blowing
scudding clouds across the sun. And after
a few hours of Frisbeeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;more chase than
catchâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or contemplative walking at the edge
of the frigid water, we are ready to return to
civilization for something warm, eaten in a
sheltered atmospheric spot.
A few twists and turns down California
Highway 1 toward town bring us to the tiny
Boathouse, the perfect spot for sandy sandaled
feet and windswept hair. This little hole in the
wall offers the freshest of fish at rock bottom
prices. The line is no surprise, considering the
freshly battered fish and chips or the juicy
barbecued oysters. Those enthusiastic about
catching their own meals can charter fishing
trips here, since the Boathouse bills itself as
Bodega Bayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sport Fishing Center. Others
just revel in the collage of photos on the wall
of the big one that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get away, because it
just might be battered and fried on the plate
in front of you. 1445 N. Hwy. 1, Bodega Bay.
707.875.3495.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;S.D.
Salâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sal Radwan came to this country 27
years ago to study computer science at San
Francisco State University. To pay for classes
he worked in restaurants and for grocers.
But with his studies completed, Radwan let
the mainframes go and opted to buy Eezy
Freezy, a classic West Portal neighborhood
market, instead. Eventually, the friendly
Radwan and wife, Azizeh, decided the
North Bay would be just the place to raise
their kids, opening Salâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Produce and Meat
Market in Rohnert Park two years ago.
The spacious, squeaky-clean store is
stocked with hundreds of exotic, reasonably
priced foodstuffs ranging from green-grocer
items that make Safeway prices look like
Whole Foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, to a Halal-certified meat
counter filled with fresh cuts of lamb, beef,
Fulton chicken and goat.
Flatbreads line one wall. Four types of

bulk bulgur, sandal syrup from Pakistan,
round f lat lupini snacking beans, roast-yourown coffee beans, saltani green raisins, fruit
punch from Saudi Arabia, feta cheese from
four different countries, Greek tarragon
soda, Indonesian spices, German sauerkraut,
Syrian artichoke bottoms, Sudani roasted
peanuts and items from North Africa,
Malaysia, Lebanon, China, Armenia,
Bulgaria, Egypt, Canada, Central America,
and even the exotic United States, are
colorfully dispersed throughout the store.
Try sweet sesame and pistachio mixed nut
bars from Palestine, dried barberries from Iran,
rose leaf preserves from Croatia, Lebanese fig
paste or Greek whole bergamot preserves. Save
room for Salâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deli. Mideastern favorites like
falafel, hummus, dolmas and baba ghanoush
are to be expected, but there are also two-buck
chicken pies and marinated Persian eggplant in
olive oil, stuffed with hot pepper and walnuts.
Imported sun-cured black and cracked
house-spiced green olives are a steal at $3.99 a
pound, while Greek salad and an eggplant
salad tossed with parsley, garlic, red pepper
and EVOO compete for space in the deli case.
Best of all the Radwans really do listen to their
clientele. They continually change, improve and
add to their product line. 6590 Commerce Blvd.,
Rohnert Park. 707.206.9853.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;P.J.P.
Abyssinia Restaurant The North Bayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Eritrean community is going on 20 years,
but good eats from the Horn of Africa were
elusive until this restaurant opened in
downtown Santa Rosa, tucked in between a
taqueria and a pizza joint. The simple space,
decorated but with a few colorful baskets, is
a real hometown discovery.
Tea urns dispense spiced tea similar to
chai that adds a fragrant, palate-cleansing
dimension. The short list of beer is better
than most: extra smooth Ethiopian Harar,
and creamy Hakim stout. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an equal
place at the table for vegetarians and fanciers
of steak tartar. Intros are served with salad
on a plate of injera, a spongy, sour f latbread
like a thick crĂŞpe. Utensils are optional;
one digs in with scraps of the injera. What
appear to be modest portions turn out to
be quite filling; unexpected leftovers are
to be expected. 913 Fourth St., Santa Rosa.
707.568.6455.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;J.K.
BDI0==430;H

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23

?2@
A<B?6@A

To Market, to Market
North Bay farm markets, compiled by
Hannah Smith

Sonoma County

2>DAC4BH34;;050CC>A4

1A403;8=4
Farm markets are about so much more than just eating.

<Xbch<^a]X]V

Tasting heaven at the Farmers Market
By Lindsay Pyle

8

t is a rainy, frigid Thursday morning.
The cherry blossoms dance freeform
in the wind, spiraling down from their
perch in the trees. While these blossoms
indicate spring, the morning is reminiscent
of winter. The morning is not the only
thing thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foggy, but even a late start for a
self-proclaimed night owl proves fruitful at
the farmers market held at the Marin Civic
Center on this late Thursday morning.
Smart chatter about broccoli rabe and
sugar snap peas is heard somewhere above
the distant blues harmonica playing. Ladies
in large rubber boots carry canvas totes
overflowing with wispy fennel leaves and
baskets of flowers. Even on a day such as this,
the small passageways are alive. Vendors in
knitted caps and hoodies rub their hands
together for warmth, smiling and waiting for
questions and purchases, offering samples
customary with market shopping.
The shoppers include the usual Thursdaymorning suspectsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;chefs, restaurant owners,
local farmers and anyone current in the Marin
food circle who isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tied to a nine-to-five.
Between bites of grapefruit and
strawberries, toothpicks filled with cheese,
and crackers covered in spreads from roasted
eggplant to olive tapenade, the greatest part
of this market is in the interaction. Edmond
from Petalumaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Della Fattoria bakery says heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
relatively new to the Thursday-morning beat,
having been coming for only seven months.
He is lively in speech and openly generous,
offering samples of his breads. He shares the
history of his bakery, saying that he is beginning
to focus more on markets like these and less on
deliveries, because markets offer community,
one that comes without using so much gas.
The ladies from Healdsburgâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DaVero
occupy the stand next door. While offering

24

04.22.09-04.28.09

their locally grown olive oils on soft morsels of
bread, they tell near-lore of the fishmongering
ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;beautiful, busty Latinas with acrylic
nails and plastic aprons who fillet five-foot-long
fish before your eyes and only come on Sundays.
The young men at Prather Ranch Meat
bend into large refrigerators and pull out
wrapped pieces of meatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;shanks, hocks
and steaksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;beneath a sign saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;Organic,
Humane, Sustainable.â&#x20AC;?
Peter, owner of Barlovento Chocolates,
delicately slices off thin little bits of Meyer lemon
zest, cardamom and honey, and Mayan hot
chocolate truffles. Each piece melts like the faint
taste of a meal that never was and always is.
The man in a yellow bee suit at the Marshallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Farm Honey stand dips his miniature spoons
into jars of amber flavored in lavender,
wildflower and blackberry. Dried fruits sit
comfortably beside almonds flavored with
exotic spices like tequila lemon and lemon chili.
Bags of walnuts, shelled or whole, share shelves
with bushels of broccoli, kale and asparagus.
The color of the fruits, vegetables and
flowers that overflow out of these stands is a
stark contrast against such a gray morning.
Whole roasted chickens turn seductively in
the windows of the Roli Roti truck. Authentic
Belgian waffles come piling onto paper
plates, their mountains of sugar and snowwhite whipped cream are pure save for the
healthy chocolate streams that part them.
Southern-scented smoke billows out of
Frankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s BBQ shack. Wood-oven roasted
pizzas fly out of the portable oven into
symmetrical square boxes. People licking
their fingers and tapping their feet sit at
tables assembled around one man playing his
harmonica into a microphone. Is it any
wonder why people would choose to spend
their Thursday mornings here? Marin
County Farmers Market, Marin Civic Center,
Thursdays and Sundays, 8amâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;1pm, year-round.

THE BOHEMIAN

Cotati Opens June 4 and runs Thursdays
through Oct. 1 from 4:30pm to 7:30pm.
La Plaza Park, downtown Cotati. 707.795.5508.
Guerneville The Friday market runs
from 4pm to 8pm and opens June 5, running
through October. Parking lot of Sonoma
Nesting, 16151 Main St. 707.869.9000.
Healdsburg The Saturday-morning
market opens unofficially on April 25 in
celebration of Arbor Day for those farmers
with â&#x20AC;&#x153;earlyâ&#x20AC;? produce. The regular Saturdaymorning market goes into full swing on
May 2, from 9am to noon, and runs through
Nov. 28. North and Vine streets. The Tuesdayevening market begins June 2 from 4pm to
6:30pm and runs through Oct. 24. Matheson
Street on the Plaza. 707.431.1956.
Oakmont This is a year-round market,
every Saturday from 9am to noon in the
Wells Fargo Bank parking lot, corner of
Oakmont Drive and White Oak. 707.538.7023.
Occidental Opens June 5 and runs Fridays
from 4pm to dusk through the season.
Downtown Occidental, in front of Howard
Station Cafe, 3611 Bohemian Hwy. 707.793.2159.
Petaluma The Saturday market opens
May 23 and runs 2pm to 5pm through Oct. 31 at
Walnut Park, Petaluma Boulevard at D Street.
Wednesday-night market begins June 10 and
runs from 4:30pm to 8pm through Aug. 26 at
the intersection of Second Street and B and D
streets. 707.762.0344.
Santa Rosa Year-round markets, Wednesday
and Saturday, rain or shine, 8:30am to noon
at the Veterans Memorial Building, east
parking lot, 1351 Maple Ave. 707.522.8629.
The downtown Wednesday Night Market
opens May 13 and runs from 5pm to 8:30pm
through Aug. 12. Downtown Santa Rosa,
Fourth Street from B to D streets. 707.524.2123.
Sebastopol Already underway for the
season, this market runs every Sunday from
10am to 1:30pm through the last Sunday in
November. Downtown Plaza at McKinley
Street. 707.522.9305.
Sonoma The Friday market is a rainor-shine, year-round event every week from
9am to 12:30pm at the Depot Park at First
Street West. The Tuesday evening market
began at the start of April and goes through
the last Tuesday of October from 5:30pm to
dusk, at the Sonoma Plaza on the Square.
707.538.7023.
Windsor The Sunday-morning market
begins in earnest on May 10 and runs from
10am to 1pm through Nov. 22. Beginning
June 11, Thursday-evening markets with
special concert and food nights run from 5pm
to 8pm through the summer. Town Green in
Old Downtown Windsor. 707.838.7285.

Marin County
Corte Madera This year-round market is
held every Wednesday from noon to 5pm in
the Town Center, Tamalpais and Highway 101,
center courtyard. 415.382.7846.
Fairfax With its fierce devotion to
sustainability, this market opens on May 7
and runs Wednesday from 4pm to 8pm at
Bolinas Park, 124 Bolinas Road. 415.472.6100.
www.marinfarmersmarket.org.

Larkspur Running Saturdays from
10am to 2pm. Ends last week in October.
Ferry Building Parking lot. Larkspur
Landing Circle. 415.382.7846.
Mill Valley Every Friday beginning
June 5 and ending last week in October,
running from 9am to 1pm. Blithedale at
Lomita. 415.382.7846.
Novato Look for this market to
commence on Tuesdays beginning May 5,
running 4pm to 8pm through September.
Grant Avenue, old downtown. 415.472.6100.
www.marinfarmersmarket.org
Pt. Reyes Station The West Marin farm
market is a Saturday affair, running from
9am to 1pm. Runs June 27â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Nov. 7. Tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Feed Barn, 15479 State Route 1, Pt. Reyes
Station. 415.669.9932.
Ross Valley A new market, this one
serves residents of Ross, Kentfield and
San Anselmo and is slated for Thursdays
from 3pm to 7pm, beginning May 29 and
running to the last week of October. Ross
Commons at the Post Office. 415.382.7846
San Rafael Year-round markets at the
Marin County Civic Center are a
community bastion. Look for them on
Thursdays and Sundays, from 8am to 1pm.
Sundays in the Marin County Civic Center
parking lot and Thursday in the Veterans
Memorial parking lot. 415.472.6100. www.
marinfarmersarket.org. Also, the family
affair that is the Thursday Night Market has
already begun and runs from 6pm to 9pm
though Sept. 24. Fourth Street, between B
Street and Cijos. 415.492.8007.
Sausalito This market opens May 8
and runs every Friday from 4pm to 8pm
through Oct. 31. New location in the Bank
of America Parking lot on Bridgeway.
415.382.7846.
Tam Valley This market starts May 19
and is every Tuesday 3pm to 7pm. Tennessee
Valley Road off of Highway 1 at Marin
Street. 415.382.7846.

Napa County
Calistoga Spring is officially sprung
in Calistoga on Saturday, May 2, with a
market that runs Saturdays from 8:30am
to noon through Oct. 31. Now located in
Sharpsteen Plaza, across from City Hall,
1235 Washington St. 707.942.8892.
Napa Saturday- and Tuesday-morning
markets in Napa begin on May 2 from
7:30am to noon and run through October.
This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market is focused on sustainable,
organic and artisanal goods and has a new
location at the Napa Valley Wine Train,
1275 McKinstry Street in the Oxbow
District. 707.252.7142. Meanwhile, the fillthe-streets fun of the Chef â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market kicks off
on a new day, overtaking downtown streets
on Thursdays, and running May 21 through
July 30 from 5pm to 9pm. Downtown
Napa, between First and the Oxbow Public
Market. 707.257.0322.
St. Helena Look for this market every
Friday, May 1 to Oct. 30, from 7:30am to
noon. Crane Park, Crane Avenue at Grayson
Avenue. 707.486.2662.
Unconfirmed farmers markets about
which we could not goose a call back or
get more info include those in Monte Rio
and Forestville. Please send details on those
markets to calendar@bohemian.com and
weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get them listed.

?2@
A<B?6@A

1DA=101H
To abide by Italian rules, pizza must be wood-fired to be pizza.

4PccWT?[PcT

Humble, filling and wholesome, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than
a mealâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pizza your heart
By Clark Wolf
Splitting his time between Guerneville and
Manhattan, acclaimed consultant Clark Wolf
graces these pages with the occasional diatribe
from the periodic local.

8

n difficult economic times, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s valuable to
look at ancient cultures to see how they
fared in adversity. Sometimes the resulting
food is rather spectacular. Take pizza.
Why is pizza such perfect food? Maybe
because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so very old. Maybe because it
wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t developed by some random R&D
team, but rather through experimentation by
generation after generation of hungry folks.
Maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because it reduces a meal to good,
solid, basic elements that deeply satisfy.
Bread is one of the oldest foods and dates
back to at least Neolithic times. The practice
of adding other stuff to bread can be found
throughout antiquity. The ancient Greeks
had a flatbread that was eaten with toppings
that probably included herbs, onions and
garlic. And in Virgilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s epic poem The Aenied
(written, oh, about 19 B.C.E.), he refers to
bread as an edible plate. Talk about a long,
slow, trend movement. Love that.
Now, if you want to taste a benchmark, you
may wish to go to Italy, where, it turns out,
they waited until recently (the 1980s, just in
the nick of time) to formalize some nearly
ancient, deeply solid traditions. It was the
feisty Neapolitans, the people in and around
Naples, who brought it all into focus and format.
Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a people and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a city well-versed in
good times and bad times. A lot like now.

The fabled Antica Pizzeria Portâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Alba in
Naples is said to be the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first pizzeria.
Rumor (or history) has it that they started
making the magic pie in about 1738 and sold it
from an open-air stand straight through until
some time in 1830, at which point they evolved
into a restaurant with indoor and outdoor
seating, which is where they still make and sell
boatloads of extraordinary pizza to this day.
What makes a perfect pizza? The
Association Verace Pizza Napoletana has
some pretty basic ideasâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;rules, actuallyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;
that in fact do ensure that what gets called a
pizza is indeed the real deal.
Wood The pizza must be cooked by
wood. Gas, coal or electric ovens do not
conform to tradition. You never get the
right blistering or that lightly smoky finish.
Ingredients 00 flour, San Marzano
tomatoes, all natural fior-di-latte or buffalo
mozzarella, fresh basil, salt and yeast. Only
fresh, all natural, nonprocessed ingredients
are acceptable. Variations are fun and tasty,
but for me itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a simple Neapolitan (tomato,
buffalo mozzarella and basil) or itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a no-go.
Technique Hand-worked or low-speedmixed dough. Proper work surface (usually
slab or marble) and oven temp (800 F). Cranky
or even hammy show cooks not required.
Review A designated representative
of the association must assure that the
ingredients, technique and final product
conform to the tradition.
Around 1830 (maybe just after the grand
opening party for the indoor seating of the
Antica Pizzeria Portâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Alba), the French writer
Alexandre Dumas described pizza as the

only food of the humble people in Naples
during winter, and wrote that in those days
it was flavored with oil, tallow (pork fat),
cheese, tomato or anchovies. All throughout
Campania you see those core ingredients on
happy and natural display. Their elongated
tomatoes are grown in the rich volcanic soil of
Vesuvius and get hung under rafters away from
the rain and wind to gently dry. The arugula
seems to be peeking out everywhere (on
menus, that is), and the mozzarella fairly pops
out of the water buffalo nearby.
We have all those ingredients hereâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even
the water buffalo. They roam along the Sierra
foothills and give the milk that the folks at
Bubalus, Bubalis in Gardena, Calif., turn it
into oozing, milky balls. We can do it. And
one good thing about this drought we seem
to be facing is that dry farming, especially of
delicious tomatoes, is sure to increase.
On a recent trip to Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pizza heartland,
I visited a place that sold pizza by the meter.
Two toppings per nearly three-foot expanse.
The place was clean and big, and the pizza, a
bit thicker than that had at other places, was
delicious. But clearly this could have been
ground zero for bad American pizza, could
have been where â&#x20AC;&#x153;conceptâ&#x20AC;? escaped and ran
amok, producing fun and life and profits and
lousy pizza; but it was still shockingly delicious.
As we emerge from what has felt to many
like a frightening economic nuclear winter,
many of us are hopeful about whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to come.
Certainly, our regional bounty of intensely
flavorful foodstuffs can be part of the value
systems realignment that the world really
needs to address. Simple pleasures may well
be priceless. And these days, simpler seems
so much more right and yet so much harder
to do. But so very worth the trouble.

Crusty Bubbles
Rosso Pizzeria & Wine Bar Want to have
great pizza without leaving town (or region)?
Go, as I often do, to Rosso. The right dough,
allowed to rise (some say for 11 hours; some,
12 and 1/2) just so, with only a drizzle of olive
oil, some ripe, slightly dry tomatoes and maybe
some peppery arugula. Or mozzarella and
tomato sauce. Not much more. 53 Montgomery
Drive, Santa Rosa. 707.544.3221.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Clark Wolf
Pizzeria Picco This pizzeria also offers
Strauss soft-serve ice cream, making for the
perfect pairing. 320 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur.
415.945.8900.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;C.W.
Filippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pizza Grotto If you just need to
feed in a kid-friendly place in Napa, relax.
You really can slum it after all. Filippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is
where the soccer team goes after a big game,
where neighbors talk across tables about the
other neighborsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; divorce or the city council
meeting last night, and where a kid you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
know might crawl under your table and get
back to his parents at his leisure (after
asking you for a bite of that garlic toast).
This is one of those places decorated
with black-and-white photographs of old
Italian grandmothers, so you might believe
youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re getting just-off-the-boat-Italian
rather than the corporate-approved fare
thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exactly the same in their nine other
Northern California locations. But who
cares? Your kid gets lots of spaghetti and

lots of opportunity to act like a kid, and you
can always enhance the undistinguished
pizza with beer or wine. Be careful when
ordering water, however. One night my son
and I asked for tap water and got iced water
with a surprise ingredient. So when you
need aqua, just say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tap water, please, no
iceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and hold the salt.â&#x20AC;? 645 First St., Napa.
707.254.9700.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Juliane Poirier Locke
Azzurro Pizzeria E Enoteca I do not
group this place with pizza restaurants, even
though it does have the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;pizzeriaâ&#x20AC;? in
the name. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just too good: the service, the
food, the attitude, the place. I think of it as
pizza by grownups for grownups, even
though Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hauled my kid in there on a few
occasions, and he loves it, too. But kids are
not the audience for this place. They canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
appreciate the wine and beer selections.
They canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t grasp that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all about excellent,
relaxed and sophisticated . . . well, pizza dining.
When someone told me about the
manciata signature dishâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;salad on a hot
pizza bread, folded and eaten taco-styleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;it
sounded so lame that I put off my first visit
to Azzurro entirely. Now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hooked. I
broke down in a weak moment and ordered
the spinach manciata. Amazing. Now I
order it every time. Everything on the menu
is good here, and the chrome-and-steel
aesthetic is stylish and loudish, creating an
upbeat and even boisterous atmosphere in
which to sip very nice wines and very cold
beers while talking to adults. 1260 Main St.,
Napa. 707.255.5552.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;J.P.L.
Pizzeria Tra Vigne Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually a really
bad sign when a commercial spot leafs
through near-seasonal name changes while
still hawking the same product. Thankfully,
such is not the case with St. Helenaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Pizzeria Tra Vigne (PTV), formerly known
as lots of other pizzerias, with bloodlines
and tentacles reaching into Santa Rosa, PBS
and even the Food Network.
A recent cross-mountain foray confirmed
that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still possible to find top-notch, crisp and
chewy, woodfire-blistered pizza amid the vines
and hydrangeas of way expensive Napa Valley.
And to think PTV hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even changed names
since the last visit. At $12.95 the spicy and sweet
saucy tang of PVTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 12-inch margherita comes
equipped with both scorched and bubbly
mozzarella and a side of fresh coarsely chopped
basil. The sight before first bite reminds that
though this earth be round, heaven is molten
stuff on crisp flat bread.
Drop by in nice weather and accompany
your fare with a bit of dappled sunshine
on the restaurantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adjacent deck. Or have
a beer after work with a game of stick
and round ball on the big screen. Though
PTV may seem all melting cheeses, upscale
veggies and pricey meats strategically placed
upon a scientifically sound surface of baked
starch and gluten, the proprietors appreciate
that humankind lives not on hot pies alone.
They serve up a mean piadine, for example,
which, while also an oven baked flatbread
with salad placed topside, does have a catchy
and distinctive name and is technically no
pie. I think. 1016 Main St. (Highway 29),
St. Helena. 707.967.9999.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;P. Joseph Potocki

5A4B7>55
C74E8=4
o, why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we
get a better deal
on wine purchased
at the winery? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a
naive question, but
itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s springtime and
weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re awash in freshness, so letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ask it. After all, if the
wine is made, bottled and sold in the very same place,
sometimes a few yards from the vineyard, and if we
truck ourselves there, pay the freight to take it away,
and markup is 100 percent after they sell the bottle to
Greedoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Liquor & Spirits Distributors for $16â&#x20AC;&#x201D;why am
I paying $32?

S

The answer is as simple and as complicated as why
tomatoes cost more at the farmers market. One
reason given is that wineries canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t â&#x20AC;&#x153;undercutâ&#x20AC;? their
distributors, although he who weeps for liquor
distributorsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who have near monopolies in some
statesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is truly too sensitive for this cruel world. A
better reason is that small, family wineries rely on
direct sales to stay in business. OK, what about the
biggies owned by beer behemoths who are slinging
hundreds of thousands of cases at wholesalers across
the nation? Onsite sales are probably funding the
operation of the selfsame retail destination. And
around we go again.
I thought Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d found the mother lode when I misread a
recent advertisement for SuncĂŠ Winery: 50 percent off
for Sonoma County residents. The ďŹ ne print, they told
me, described a holiday promotion on certain wines
when patrons donated a toy for tots. What SuncĂŠ does
have are bargain bins that are rotated every monthâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a
reason to stop by regularly. Right now, the best value
is a toothsome and tannic 2004 Russian River Valley
Merlot for $14. SuncĂŠ is a casual, locals-friendly spot
with a farmstead location just west of Santa Rosa,
bocce ball court and picnic tables.
Napa wineries that participate in the Napa
Neighbors program offer complimentary tasting
for residents, and wine discounts up to a truly
neighborly 30 percent. In Sonoma County, an
unofďŹ cial program is sometimes in effect. Shooting
the breeze on a slow afternoon often leads to a
waived fee, and for those in the wine-food matrix,
a 30 percent discount. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t assume this, of course;
just ask about the fee while reaching purposefully
for wallet, because every dollar the tasting room
brings in is a reason your new friend has a job.

The truth is, a better deal can often be found at a
discounter a few miles further down the road, like
Santa Rosaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bottle Barn. With prices $5 and less
than suggested retail, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard get excited about
that waived tasting fee with purchase under the
circumstances.
One afternoon shortly after a regional wine event, I
was lined up to check out at Traversoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, the landmark
deli that carries a great selection, moderately priced
with a sprinkling of bargains, when I was nearly
elbowed by a guy who frenziedly dove away from the
counter back to the shelves. Unfazed, I could see the
out-of-towner was merely in a state of distraction,
jealously clutching his rare, precious ďŹ&#x201A;asks of Flowers
and Radio-Coteau with sweaty palms. I guess if
thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s any relief for resident wine fans, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this:
Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not him.
SuncĂŠ Winery, 1839 Olivet Road, Santa Rosa. 707.526.9463.
Bottle Bard, 3331 Industrial Drive, Ste. A, Santa Rosa.
707.528.1161.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Perfect, Now
Changeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is silly fun
By David Templeton

Âş

F

hat do you say we skip the first,
second and third dates and go
straight to the sex?â&#x20AC;?
So suggests a time-conscious
young woman, meeting a man on a blind
date in the opening moments of I Love You,
Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Perfect, Now Change, the long-running
Off-Broadway confection that just opened
a four-week run at Santa Rosaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sixth Street
Playhouse. In the very funny show-starting
bit, the couple (Allison Marcom and Peter
Downey), obviously attracted to each other
but aware of the many pitfalls of modern
romance, keep skipping ahead through their
relationship, from first sex to first argument,
to their ultimate painful breakup and
eventual accidental meeting on the streets
(when heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a date and she wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t), where
they both realize they were never really right
for each other.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;What a great date,â&#x20AC;? the woman sighs as
they both part ways.
If Saturday Night Live was reworked as a
musical and had an episode devoted entirely
to sketches and songs about love and sex, that
episode could be this play, a fairly plotless
series of songs (most of them incredibly
clever) and sketches (some brilliant, some
less so), all tracing homo sapien love from
the complicated rituals of dating, sex and
commitment on into marriage, parenthood,

divorce and old age. The show ran for more
than a decade in New York, and is now finally
trickling down to the regional, college and
community theater level, where it will likely
be popular for the next decade.
In the Sixth Street production, under the
spirited direction of Nancy Prebilich, with
fine musical direction by Chris Alexander, the
strong cast of four tackle each new segment
with energy, invention and considerable
singing chops. Joining Allison Marcom
(featured in past Sixth Street productions of
Sweet Charity, Bye-Bye Birdie and The Music
Man) and Peter Downey (Oklahoma) are
two newcomers to this stage, Patrick Barresi
and Amie Shapiro. Together, they form
a seamless, well-balanced ensemble unit
(though the microphone levels could have
been better balanced on the night I saw it; it
was hard to hear all four performers when
they sang together). Backed up with a firstrate musical ensemble, the show is mostly
light, confectionery entertainment with a
potent strain of seriousness and not-too-subtle
heartache running beneath the silly setups
and goof ball rhymes.
And oh, those rhymes!
As written by Joe DePietro and Jimmy
Roberts, the song lyrics are frequently
hilarious. In an early bit where two couples
endure the endlessly boring first-date chatter
of their dinner partners, the line â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
believe heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talking stillâ&#x20AC;? is rhymed with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m
gonna need a scotch refill!â&#x20AC;? In the second
actâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show-stopping country-western number
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride,â&#x20AC;? where a
serial bridesmaid sings about all the horrible
dresses sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collected, the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;satinâ&#x20AC;? ends up
paired with â&#x20AC;&#x153;makes me look fat in,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;taffetaâ&#x20AC;?
pairs with â&#x20AC;&#x153;laugh at ya,â&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;velourishâ&#x20AC;? (is that
even a word?) is rhymed with â&#x20AC;&#x153;whorish.â&#x20AC;?
The rhymes are strong even in the less
goofy songs, such as the yearning â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Will Be
Loved Tonight,â&#x20AC;? sung by a young woman who
may have just landed a date with the love of
her life, which carries the lovely lyric, â&#x20AC;&#x153;So let
darkness come, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;cause that will be fine / For Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll
have a soul entangled in mine.â&#x20AC;?
Of the nonmusical bits, the best are a
first-act routine about a poor guy suffering
through a date-night, chick-flick movie;
a crudely clever sketch about a law firm
specializing in suing lovers for not sexually
satisfying their partners; and a strong bit in
which a recently divorced woman records a
dating video, accidentally confessing all the
things she probably shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be. Not all of
the comedic bits work so well, and the show
has an overlong feel to it, but the slow spots
never last long, and the whole thing wraps up
in high-spirited fashion with the title song,
with its jaunty refrain, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I keep coming back, I
keep coming back.â&#x20AC;?
While I Love You, Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Perfect, Now
Change clearly wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cup of tea,
I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised if this entertaining
show inspires numbers of people, those all too
familiar with the addictive highs and lows of
love, to keep coming back for more.

Guys and Dolls

Photo by Jeff Thomas

@A.42

Based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows

A Feast of Color
Embroidery and Painting from the Villages of India
April 2 – June 7, 2009
An exhibition of textiles from Northern India, curated by Gwen Dhesi assisted
by Pradumna Tana and Gay Dawson, and a selection of Mithila Paintings from
the collection of Malini Bakshi and Pink Mango.
Saturday, May 2, 2 p.m.
Folk Embroideries from Gujarat and Punjab, Lecture by Pradumna Tana
FARM TOOLS • PRIMITIVES • VINTAGE JEWELRY • LIGHTING • KITCHEN TOOLS

As a bleak winter delivered chills,
the women & men agreed on a coping strategy!

reminder that Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earth is an
event, not a movie, comes right away;
itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s during the coming attractions for
the sequel Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ocean, slated for
Earth Day 2010. Here are small-screen excerpts
from Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nature shorts of the 1940sâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;
â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s; here are reminders of the eight Oscars
Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s won in a format in which â&#x20AC;&#x153;nature
writes the screenplayâ&#x20AC;? (though this comment
is as open to argument as the statement
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Disneyland is the Magic Kingdomâ&#x20AC;?).
The Discovery Channel and BBC
collaborated on Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earth, but it is very
much Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movie. It begins with James
Earl Jones rumbling on the soundtrack as the
sunrise is viewed from outer space. Holding
the series of critter encounters together is
the plight of a polar bear familyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dad,â&#x20AC;?
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Momâ&#x20AC;? and two cubs during the course of a
year. We keep returning to these bruins, in a
documentary in which man never appears.
The more stunning small effects are whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
worthwhile. Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earth has fine trees.
Remarkable new time-lapse photography
pans gently across a valley, while observing
the yearly change of a forest of deciduous
trees from bare branches to scarlet leaves.
Peaceful moments donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell, and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
a movie without conflict, anyway? From the
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nature Is Scaryâ&#x20AC;? files, we find shark vs. seal,
polar bear vs. walrus, lions vs. elephant and
cheetah vs. gazelle. The last of these battles,

while bloodless, is almost pornography. The
herbivore succumbs as much as she is killed,
in ultra slow motion. One feels bad about the
outcome, but not that bad. As Orwell wrote,
â&#x20AC;&#x153;You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look at a gazelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hindquarters
without thinking of mint sauce.â&#x20AC;?
Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primacy in nature documentaries
is a subject Neil Gabler examines in his recent
biography of Walt Disney. In the 1940s,
Disney had an encounter with Stanford
president David Starr Jordan, an expert on
the fur-seal territory debate between Japan
and Russia. Thus, Disney decided to make a
documentary on the seal islands of the North
Pacific. Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspiration was to cut out
most of the human factor: â&#x20AC;&#x153;More seals,â&#x20AC;? he
kept cabling to the photographers in the
Arctic. RKO Studios, Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regular
distributor, didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see the percentage in it.
Neither did Roy Disney, Waltâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partner and
brother: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who wants to look at seals playing
house on a bare rock?â&#x20AC;?
Hindsight shows how many people did.
Gabler writes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seal Island would become the
model not only for Disney documentaries
but for nature documentaries generally: a
strong plot, anthropomorphized animals
with emotions imputed into them, and a
musical track . . . which made the documentaries
into real-life cartoons.â&#x20AC;? And so forth, on to
the non-Disney hit March of the Penguins.
Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earth sticks with the successful
formula. When we see a pride of lions
lapping water together, their heads squeezed
closer by a telescopic lens, they look as
conspiratorial as the Clanton Gang. Time
magazine film critic Richard Schickel writes,
â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no moral hierarchy among the
species, and the business of cuing response
through music, narration and film editing . . .
leads to this sort of ranking by the spectator
that is reprehensible.â&#x20AC;?
Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the downside of Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earth
all over; the technology has improved
brilliantly, but the formula is same-old, sameold. Here is more rumbling narrator and
more overwrought music. (We hear Celtic
keening when a prey animal gets it in the
neck.) We sometimes learn a little something
about the land; we hear weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the
Himalayas, the Serengeti or the New Guinea
habitat of the aptly named birds of paradise.
Maybe the most stunning part of this film
is the mating dance of the superb bird of
paradise, flashing its neon-bright, iridescent
turquoise feathers, but the scene is marred
by gag writing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Git down!â&#x20AC;? Jones jokes as a
different bird of paradise dances.
To the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s credit, Disney bites
the bullet: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The planet is warming,â&#x20AC;? Jones
says, leaving no room for backpedaling in
this noncontroversial noncontroversy. But
the ending is happyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they always are in the
critter shows.
Always, delicate creatures make narrow,
unlikely escapes, signifying the fate of a
whole endangered species: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The marmoset
is safe . . . for tonight. But how long can the
whiskered monkeys of Venezuela hold their
dominion against the invasion of man?â&#x20AC;? On
the one hand, it reminds the gentle viewer
of how many of the earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creatures are
hanging on by a thread; on the other hand, it
assures these viewers that some providence
will look out for them. And so to bed.

K AYA K S s R A F T S s G E A R
S A L E S s R E N TA L S

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Disneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; screens all over the North Bay on
April 22 and beyond.

specialty-themed skate nights by
decade. This weekend, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the 1960s,
where admission and rental prices will
be rolled back to $1.25 and 25 cents, the
Warm Puppy cafe will serve uncovered
dishes for rolled-back rates, music
from the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s will play on the rink and
contests for best costume and hairstyle
will reward the diehards. Apart from
Sparkyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s absence, little has changed at
the ice arena since it opened in 1969.
The Scandinavian dĂŠcor is timeless,
and even hometown hero Skippy
Baxter still skates rings around the
Zamboni (his famous backf lip is now
on YouTube). In subsequent months,
the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s will be featured,
but for now, spray up that beehive
hairdo and come for the party on
Saturday, April 25, at Snoopyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home
Ice. 1667 W. Steele Lane, Santa Rosa.
12:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;4:30pm. $1.50. 707.546.7147.

H6CI6GDH6

Mailmen Rock!
It is refreshingly easy to become completely
beguiled by the homespun charm of Bob
Pittmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent CD, 10 Totally Catchy Songs
by Some Guy Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Never Heard Of, released
on Your Record Company Here, 123 Happy
Ln., Anytown, USA. Whether through the
Lou Reed talking-singing of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Waiting for My
Ship to Come In,â&#x20AC;? the Erasure-esque synthpop of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pit Stopâ&#x20AC;? or the Being Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;era Wilco
twang of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Hard Line,â&#x20AC;? Pittman has made
an utterly unpretentious recordâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;despite
the back coverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tongue-in-cheek declaration
that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;the only album youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ever need!â&#x20AC;?
Lighthearted humor and subtle social
commentary surround poignant stories, such
as â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Palm of Her Hand,â&#x20AC;? and even though
it bears no resemblance to the accepted genre,
it is truly an indie-rock record. Pittman, a
postal carrier, appears at a golf course karaoke
party to celebrate the release of 10 Totally
Catchy Songs on Saturday, April 25, at Legends.
Bennett Valley Golf Course, 3328 Yulupa Ave.,
Santa Rosa. 8:30pm. Free. 707.523.4111.

L=:G:NDJA>K:

Recessionary
Re-Swapping

A6G@HEJG

Kids on Film
Lest we allow YouTube to have us believe
that all teenagers who pick up a video camera
only wants to film themselves dancing to
Lady Gagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just Dance,â&#x20AC;? the Lark Theater
Youth Film Festival showcases 20 short
films by Marin teenagers that capture the
depth, thought, insight and spirit of youth.
This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third annual festival adds a
â&#x20AC;&#x153;greenâ&#x20AC;? category to the documentary, music
and narrative lineup. Each entry is under
12 minutes long, but if prior years are any
indication, the talent and entertainment at
the festival is high. Spread across two age
categories, 10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;13 and 14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;18, the competition
rewards the best entries in front of a
perennially sold-out crowd. Advance tickets
are recommended when the festival returns
on Monday, April 27, at the Lark Theater.
549 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. 12:30pm. $10.
415.924.5111.

H6CI6GDH6

Snoopy in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s
For anyone whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grown up in Sonoma
County, the Redwood Empire Ice Arena
has been a huge part of fond childhood
memories. In the next four months, the
ice arena now known as Snoopyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home
Ice celebrates 40 years of ice-skating with

60806060
4PacW3PhQ[^^\bcWXbfTTZX]4eT]cb_$

THE BOHEMIAN

Spring cleaning means finding a lotta
stuff you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need, but as these
recessionary times have reminded us,
throwing perfectly useful items away is
absurd. Three swaps this weekend offer
the opportunity to pass along
unwanted items. The Great Shoe-In
collects gently worn athletic shoes (tied
together, please) to be distributed to
local shelters, Third World countries
and, in the case of irreparable shoes,
ground up into bouncy playground
surfaces. Drop shoes off on April 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;26
at Santa Rosa High School,
Coddingtown Mall or the Shomrei
Torah at 2600 Bennett Valley Road,
Santa Rosa. The Plus-Size Clothing
Swap offers women with larger
waistlines the ability to shed old duds
and don new gently worn new-to-you
clothes (with all donations helping to
provide services to the local womensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
shelter the Living Room) on Saturday,
April 25, at Making it Big, 525 Portal
St., Cotati, from 11am to 5pm. And in
Petaluma, the anything-goes Free Sale
is a community garage sale without the
little neon circular price tags sponsored
by activist youth group Impact! Bring
just about anything and leave with just
about anything, with free food and
music, on Sunday, April 26, at 1251
Marian Way, Petaluma. 11amâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;5pm.

6PQT<T[X]T

04.22.09-04.28.09

43

Just for Localsâ&#x20AC;Ś
Taste,â&#x20AC;? the Downtown wine tasting card, is a hit
with visitors. No wonder â&#x20AC;&#x201C; only $20, it allows the
cardholder to get their initial tasting at 13 tasting
rooms for only a dime, saving them about $50.

But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just for visitors. For locals, the
card is only $10, the entire month of April.
And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the first reason for locals
to use â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taste.â&#x20AC;?

Stop in the visitors center at 1310 Napa Town Center
(across from Gillwoods, under the rotunda), show them
your drivers license with your Napa County address
anytime in April, and you can buy â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tasteâ&#x20AC;? for only ten bucks.
Visit the 13 participating downtown tasting rooms, and your
initial tasting is only ten cents. And take your sweet tasting
time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the card is good through December 31, 2009.
0<1A>B8098B27:4

For more information on the card,
visit www.napadowntown.com
0342034>56A40C=4BB
Body or Brain help Sonomaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enduring all-ages venue The Shop celebrate ten years of
providing crucial nightlife for wine country teenagers. See Concerts, above.

Silky smoothness from Boz Scaggs
y friends Fred and Sue are off to see Boz Scaggs
this week. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a date for the long-married couple,
one that they have experienced before: once in college
before they were married, once before their kids were
born, and once after the kids were raised. Come to think
of it, the couple were in the audience the last time
Scaggs played here in Santa Rosa.
A Boz Scaggs show is like a great date movie. Guys
admire his ability to straddle the boundaries between
rock and R&B, and the fact that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downtown and
down-home. The ladies like his style. In the tradition
of the great crooners of an earlier era, Scaggs has
always projected a grace that is rarely seen in the
swaggering macho land of rock. Performing in Oakland
at the newly renovated Paramount Theatre in 1974, he
showed up in a silk tuxedo.
A Bay Area favorite since his early days with the
Steve Miller Band, Scaggs has hung his hat in Northern
California since the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;60s. Always the gentleman, he
now is a gentleman farmer as well, owning a winery on
Mt. Veeder. Scaggs Vineyards celebrates the Rhone
varietals and Boz tends to the winemaking process, except
in the summer when he hits the road.
Expect smooth tunes and girls that swoon when Boz
takes the stage on Tuesday, April 28, at the Wells Fargo
Center, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 8pm.
$30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$70. 707.546.3600.

Levin & Company
306 Center Street, Healdsburg
(Cash or Credit Card)
Last Record Store
1899 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa
(Cash and Checks)
Tickets are on sale at the venues on the day
of the event, subject to availability.
MAJOR SPONSORS

Rick Ross, exposed as a sham, no longer hustlinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
othing makes sense in Rick Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; world. Last year,
after an exposĂŠ by the Smoking Gun of the gangsta
rapperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous career as a Florida state corrections
officer, Ross found himself in the strange position of
having to prove that he had, in fact, lived the criminal
past boasted in his music. His detractors and fans
alike scoured for evidence of his reputed gang ties, of
his drug trafficking, of his criminal record. Much to
Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; embarrassment, no such misbehavior on his part
could be found.
Ross could have accepted this rather extraordinary
public humiliation and unscrupulously come back even
harder; instead, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taken it to heart. Deeper Than Rap,
his ďŹ rst new album since the scandal, is as light and
offense-free as a Downy commercial, and just as soft.
It takes a bold soul to record a song called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rich Off
Cocaineâ&#x20AC;?; it takes an intrepid fool to render that song
as a breezy, summertime lope, a whiff of femininity as
harmless as the feather in the gangsterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fedora.
Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; female guests Foxy Brown and Trina sound
hardened and callous on this new album, while the
male guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Robin Thicke, Ne-Yo, The-Dream and
John Legendâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;offer a falsetto foil to Rossâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; self-styled
Scarface machismo. The MaďŹ oso themes of his earlier
smash albums Port of Miami and Trilla are continued,
but with either a weak spine or a commercial angle, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
hard to say. To Ross, songs are things that donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to
be truly written so much as crafted out of thin airâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just
like a good backstory.

New albums by Booker T.
and Allen Toussaint find
success in exploration

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04.22.09-04.28.09

THE BOHEMIAN

3/30/09 10:03:07 PM

By David Sason

F

hen baby boomers moan about
a long-gone work ethic, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy
to ignore. The way things are
looking, we probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be
able to retire anyway. But the old-timers may
have a point. This week, classic soul legend
Booker T. Jones, 64, and New Orleans R&B
saint Allen Toussaint, 71, bring us albums
that prove theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do anything but rest on
their laurels.
Although a successful songwriter
and performer, Booker T. Jones remains
renowned mostly as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;alchemistâ&#x20AC;? of the
Hammond B3 organ, particularly for his
work leading the MGs, the Stax house band
which buoyed luminaries like Otis Redding,
Wilson Pickett and the Staple Singers.
Recorded in only a week, Potato Hole is likely
to augment his legacy, with his signature
keyboard lyricism stretching to new sonic
textures beyond trademark hits â&#x20AC;&#x153;Green
Onionsâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Time Is Tight.â&#x20AC;?
Right from the brash opener â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pound
It Out,â&#x20AC;? Jones sounds miles away from the
lounge-y cool of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Green Onions,â&#x20AC;? thanks
in large part to the triple-guitar attack of
backing band the Drive-By Truckers and
fourth axeman Neil Young. Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; instantly
recognizable organ licks are flanked by

power chords, distortion and dirty blues
solos, making for the boldest sound in his
catalogue. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Native New Yorkerâ&#x20AC;? has the
biggest Neil stamp on it, with its heavy guitar
stroll and Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; piercing keys seemingly
mimicking Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous falsetto tenor.
But Jones presents many moods
throughout the record, including the
serene love letter to his wife, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nan.â&#x20AC;? Here
he plays chiming acoustic guitar, electric
guitar and, of course, the organ, which
sustains the gorgeous two-minute piece with
astoundingly communicative melodies.
While his distinctive soloing may evoke
great jazzmen, Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accessibility is afforded
by his concise rock â&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll song structures,
evinced here in his covers of Outkastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey
Yaâ&#x20AC;? and Tom Waitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get Behind the Mule,â&#x20AC;?
the latter presented in a kinetic, brilliantly
plodding arrangement. The expressiveness
of Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; playing makes one hardly miss the
lyrics. This instrumental success reaches its
zenith in the epic, slavery-themed title track,
whose relentless drums and grinding guitars
aid Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; extended organ solos in a narrative
thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s damn near understandable. In addition
to his renewed creativity, the soul veteran has
brought imagination back to rock â&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll.
Also returning with his first solo album
in eons is Allen Toussaint, a New Orleans
legend whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s become even more synonymous
with the city in recent years. Since Hurricane
Katrina left him homeless, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kept busy in
exile with club residencies in New York and a
cathartic high-profile album and tour with
Elvis Costello, 2006â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The River in Reverse.
The gorgeously sequenced The Bright
Mississippi is a collection of blues numbers
that poignantly mirror Toussaintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current
transience and break from the Professor
Longhair discipleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sprightly pieces. The dozen
jazz and gospel standards revisitâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or are
haunted byâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;his fragmented hometown.
From beginning to end, the album is a chiefly
somber affair, with Toussaint leading his group
through what seems like an extended jazz
funeral. The opening track, Sidney Bechetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Egyptian Fantasy,â&#x20AC;? seems ominous and
foreboding thanks to Don Byronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaden
clarinet and a more pronounced marching beat.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dear Old Southlandâ&#x20AC;? brings the mood
down with a slower tempo and Nicolas
Paytonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longing trumpet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;St. James
Infirmaryâ&#x20AC;? confirms the somber theme, but
throughout the set Toussaintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic secondline piano perseveres. The traditional hymn
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Just a Closer Walk with Theeâ&#x20AC;? serves as
the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turning point, with Toussaintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
tickled ivories sounding like the sunlight
after a long storm and making way for a
cheery title track by Thelonius Monk.
The sense of resolution that is the
epilogue to The Bright Mississippi is not a
naĂŻve one. While Toussaint feels hopeful
about emerging from the darkness, his
journey remains a lonely one. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes I
feel so weary traveling through life alone,â&#x20AC;? he
laments in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Long, Long Journey,â&#x20AC;? the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
sole vocal track, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a long, long journey,
and I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it on my own.â&#x20AC;? The album
ends perfectly with a sparse â&#x20AC;&#x153;Solitudeâ&#x20AC;? with
Toussaintâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s isolated piano fighting through
the familiar melody.
These two triumphant new records
give us no choice but to respect our elders.
Booker T. Jones and Allen Toussaint can still
justifiably boast, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back in my day, we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
need lyrics.â&#x20AC;?

EARTH FAIR
Bring your budding environmentalist for fun Earth Day-focused activities and
musical entertainment. Learn more about sustainable practices and find
volunteer opportunities for the whole family. Whole Foods Market, Santa Rosa
will also host a raffle and BBQ lunch to benefit The Human Race.
A wide array of demos and in-store sampling will be offered throughout the day.

In â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bonk,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mary Roach studies those who study
the nasty
echnically speaking, bestselling author Mary Roach
has a sex tape on the internet, and anyone can look it
up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s G-rated,â&#x20AC;? she says dismissively.
That all depends on what you consider suitable for
children. The short clip shows Roach and her husband,
Ed, in flagrante delictoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from the inside and in four
dimensions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was very perfunctory, distracted,
terrible sex,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not sex youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d want to have.
And thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a guy right there.â&#x20AC;?
That guy was Dr. Jing Deng at University College in
London, who successfully made Roach the first woman to
be filmed, with ultrasound technology, doing the nasty.
Talk about nerd porn. The whole uncomfortable situation
came together in the course of Roachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research for her
latest book, Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex,
which she will be speaking about twice in the North Bay.
The book is the result of two yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worth of combing
that body of work searching for studies that actually
had subjects in one way or another petting, pumping,
stroking and bonking while in the sterile confines of
a research laboratory, and under very watchful eyes.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love that scientists are willing to face ridicule and
embarrassment to answer a question,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You
think, wow, that must have been awkward, and God love
those people for doing it.â&#x20AC;?
Her exuberance for the topic comes through quite
clearly in the constant and sometimes tangential
footnoting throughout the bookâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;she just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get
enough of this stuff.
However, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exactly have the greatest effect
on her own sex life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Masters and Johnson go through
everything that happens to the human body. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re
talking swelling earlobes and overactive salivary
glands,â&#x20AC;? she says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reading this, you become
a bit of voyeur in your own bed. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sort of a distracting
thing that takes you out of the moment. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really
recommend it.â&#x20AC;?
And she may have scarred her husband for life with
that tryst in Dengâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lab. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It really creeps me out
that I was able to do that,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? she laughs.
Mary Roach reads from and discusses â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bonkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at two
free appearances: Thursday, April 23, at Copperfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Books ( 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma; 7pm. 707.762.0563)
and again on Monday, April 27, at Readersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Books
(130 E. Napa St., Sonoma; 7:30pm. 707.939.1779).

MUST BE SINCERE
SF, 59, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, 115lbs, redhead, Christian, likes dining, good conversation.
Seeking SM, 45-60, who is very romantic and ready for a relationship.
297397

SHEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A LADY
Attractive SWF, 69, seeks gentleman,
65-75, for friendship and companionship. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk and see what develops!
305310

LOCAL GAL
WF looking for someone fun, nice,
loyal, honest and intelligent who likes
good conversation, wine tasting, art,
barbecues, camping, hanging out at
home and more. 40-55. 306414

SOLO IN SANTA ROSA
Still looking for lips of wine. SWF, 60,
likes working out, open mic night,
social life, some sports. Looking for a
male friend. 152766

ACTIVE WOMAN
Open-minded WF, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;4â&#x20AC;?, reddish hair,
thin build, likes festivals, fairs, the
outdoors, the arts, dancing and much
more. Would like to meet a man to
spend quality time with. Please be
upbeat, active, health-conscious and
fun-loving. 278457

LIVE, LOVE AND LAUGH
SF would like to meet a nice guy,
35-45, who is independent, spiritually grounded but not religious, enjoys hanging out at home and more.
278839

HEY NATURE LOVER
Single white Christian female, likes
many outdoor activities and adventures, varied interests. Loyal, humorous, ďŹ nancially and emotionally
balanced, seeks companion who is
similar, works days like I do, is off on
weekends. 283785

WOMAN WITH GOOD VALUES
Friendly, caring, honest, compassionate, classy lady, 20s, wants to meet a
man in his 20s for camping, shopping,
travel, dining, long drives and walks,
and more! Friendship possibly leading
to more. 299374

COUNTRY GUY
SWM, 68, secure, energetic, simple
country guy seeks simple country
girl, whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s down-to-earth, for fun,
travel, walks, good food, good times,
companionship and enjoying being at
home too. 297530

LETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MEET!
SM, 5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;8â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;, 200lbs, long hair, good-looking, in search of a woman with long
hair who enjoys the ocean, cooking,
casinos. 268859

ABBREVIATIONS: A-Asian; B-Black; C-Christian; F-Female; G-Gay; H-Hispanic; J-Jewish; M-Male; N/S-Non-Smoker; P-Professional; S-Single; W-White
Guidelines: Bohemian Romance is a community publication. Participants in the Bohemian Romance must be 18 years or older. Use of Bohemian Romance for any illegal purpose will be subject to prosecution. Bohemian Romance is not liable for the content of the personals advertisements or the response to such advertisements. Bohemian Romance encourages readers to take appropriate safeguards when responding to personal and
arranging meetings. Screen all respondents carefully. Meetings with new companions should occur in public places and participants should not divulge their addresses. Be smart, not sorry. Not all boxes contain a voice greeting.

Dial 1.900.287.1222 or 1.800.273.8235 (with credit card or check)
Only $2.19 per minute â&#x20AC;˘ 18 and up â&#x20AC;˘ Or call toll-free 1.800.214.3435 to become a member.

0410

THE BOHEMIAN

04.22.09-04.28.09

57

g
g
g

Catch the Feelingâ&#x20AC;Ś

Adult
t
Entertainment
Adult Entertainment

Quality and Maturity

BVS03AB
Z]QOZaW\UZSa

Kara, in Marin. Call for website to see photos. Please,
no calls after midnight.
415/233-2769.
Adult Massage

MobilePay!
Text â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;LAVAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;
to 25552.

**Custom Massage**
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See pix@lovings.com.
Liza and Kayla. 707-5266766.
Chatline

STARTING OVER
Separated WM, loves hockey, the outdoors, golf, staying in and watching
movies, gardening and more. Would
like to meet someone fun who wants
to enjoy life. Call me and lift my spirits.
282029

THIS ONE’S FOR YOU
Single male, in my 40s, honest, goaloriented, caring, outdoorsy, enjoys
outdoor walks, long drives, art museums, traveling. ISO similar single
female, 18-49, for dating leading to LTR.
297225

LOOKING FOR A SF WHO...
is independent, conﬁdent and takes
care of herself. I like good movies,
dressing up for a nice dinner out, skiing, bike rides, hiking, scuba diving,
swing dancing, cooking. I’m an honest
person who doesn’t believe in playing
games. 301540

WANTS SOME FUN
Very hot SWM, 6’1”, 170lbs, salt-npepper hair, in good shape, very open,
looking for erotic adult encounter
with a H/W proportionate lady who
needs attention. Want to get together?
303609

STRAIGHTFORWARD FUN
SWM, 39, looking for SF, 18-50, who
likes to try new things and isn’t afraid of
having a little fun! 304707

SHE-MALE SEEKS GOOD TIMES
Want to spend time with a man or a
woman. I am very affectionate, beautiful, and love to be held. Interested?
279657

Missed
Connections
CORINA IN OLIVER’S
Saturday at 4:00PM, You had 15-yearold twins with blacks belts in karate.
I have two cute little kids. We talked
about children and kale. Lunch?
311695

AMAZON KINDLE
Hello, I met you Friday June 27 at the
Russian River Brewing Company on
Fourth St. in Santa Rosa. She may be a
computer programmer from St. Helena
Hospital and watched on this day 3
movies back to back in the theater on
Fourth St. in the town of Santa Rosa
The Love Guru by Mike Meyers, Wall-E
and another ﬁlm. And she sipped a little
beer and read from her Amazon kindle.
I would like to get in touch with this girl
and ask her to edit my book. She is a
perfect candidate for my book. Hope to
hear from you. Phil. 274972

OPEN FOR ANYTHING
BiWM, 54, 5’10’’, professional drummer, looking for good times with men
and women, threesomes, foursomes,
dressing up and more! 287793

1.888.218.8055
There’s no better time than NOW to connect with
new people. We’re offering 10 free minutes to new
members upon joining. For complete terms and
conditions, check out People2People.com/sale

The Bohemian is no longer servicing walk-in ads. Please call 1-800-214-3435 to become a member.

Earn extra income assembling
CD cases from home. Call out Attention Readers
live operators now!
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require an initial investment
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Classified Department
at 707.527.1288

SAT & SUN May 2 & 3, 2009.
Art Paperie and Pleasantries
takes place at the Alameda
County Fairgrounds in
Pleasanton, California. Open
to the public from 11 a.m. to
5 p.m. both days, this incredible event includes artisans
Contractors
from all over the country, live
music, book signings by arts
Notice To Readers
and craft celebrities, hourly
California law requires that
make and take workshops,
contractors taking jobs
and much more.
that total $500 or more (labor www.ArtandPaperie.com.
or materials) be licensed by
the Contractors State License Suffering With
Board. State law also reAnxiety or
quires that contractors include their license number on Depression?
all advertising. You can check Think no one understands?
Lucinda Bassett does. Get her
the status of your licensed
contractor at www.cslb.ca.gov free tape that will stop the
suffering without drugs or
or 1-800-321-CSLB (2752).
Unlicensed contractors taking alcohol. Call 800-652-9619.
jobs that total less than $500 (AAN CAN)
must state in their advertiseLegal & Public Notices
ments that they are not licensed by the Contractors
Criminal Defense
State License Board.

NEW LIVING EXPO
Is Looking For
Volunteers To
Assist With This
Premier Show!
April 24, 25, & 26, 2009 at
The Concourse 8th & Brannan
Streets, San Francisco, CA. In
exchange for your time, pro
fessionalism, and energy -

Hand Blown
Glass Art
Makes a Great Gift
Made by Local artists, one of
a kind glass art pieces at
incredible prices. Only at
Tama Rama’s in Downtown
Cotati. 8252 Old Redwood
Hwy, Cotati (707) 795-1425

A Provider of Pleasure
By a gentleman! Since 1991.
Women, men, couples. Santa
Rosa, 707/799-4467, Jimmy.

Deep Tissue, Tui Na, Reiki,
Lifestream, Acupressure and
see what a difference it can
make. Call 707.665.9020.
First Time Client Special!
90 minutes for $60. Cindy
Cross, C.M.T. 665-9020
By appointment only

In addition to this column, Rob Brezsny offers
expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily
text message horoscopes. To buy access, go to
www.realastrology.com. The audio horoscopes
are also available by phone at 1.877.873.4888
or 1.900.950.7700.

Moe is looking for his Curly &
Larry to join him for lots of
laughs. This 4 year old feline
sweety, with markings like
toasted marshmallows, is
quite the character and would
love to curl up on your lap for
some good Three Stooges
movie nights. He is quite the
small, little compact cat and
promises not to hog the blankets in bed.To find out more about Moe or other adoptable
animals looking for homes, please visit the Humane Society &
SPCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center for Animals. You can also view our adoptable
animals online or give call us at (707) 542-0882.

This cute little rascal is
Bandit, a 2 year old Chihuahua with black and
white panda bear markings. Bandit would be
best suited for an adult
only home where he
promises to be your forever companion. To find
out more about Bandit
or other adoptable animals looking for homes,
please visit the Humane Society & SPCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center
for Animals. You can also view our adoptable animals
online or give call us at (707) 542-0882.
The Adoption Center is open 7 days a
week from 12PM - 6PM and is located at
5345 Highway 12 West, Santa Rosa (just
5 miles west of Hwy 101 @ Llano Rd)
www.sonomahumane.org

The Adoption Center is open 7 days a
week from 12PM - 6PM and is located at
5345 Highway 12 West, Santa Rosa (just
5 miles west of Hwy 101 @ Llano Rd)
www.sonomahumane.org

THE BOHEMIAN

04.22.09-04.28.09

62

BOHEMIAN FLIPSIDE

To place your ad call 707.527.1200

THE 12TH ANNUAL GREAT PETALUMA CHILI COOKOFF, SALSA AND BEER TASTING
Fires up on Saturday, May 9th from 1-5pm at the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma

Feldenkrais Clinic
Working with you to move with ease, diminish pain,
relieve stress. Sebastopol Community Center Annex, 1st
and 3rd Fridays 1:30-2:30 Sliding Scale $25-$40.
Call to book an Appointment 707-829-8270
or 707-490-6665.

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS!
Now is the time to buy!
Prices are down & interest rates are the lowest in years.
Call me for a FREE Evaluation of your situation.
Together we can move you from renter to owner!
PRIMARY RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE, INC. 523-1700

Narsi Hof-Brau Restaurant
in Coddingtown 545-6237

#

Dutton Ave.

Corby Auto Row

Rohnert Park

HWY 101

Hearn Rd.

Hand Crafted Brews from around the world &
Tasty Pub Grub. www.barleynhops.com or 707.874.9037
open at 4pm Everyday!

We are located at the corner of Piner & Marlow Rd. Mom
doesn’t live here? No worries....We can pack & ship the
gift as we are a US Post Office too! One stop shopping at
Best Wishes!, where you will find the perfect gift for any
reason. Bestwisheswinecountry.com/ 575-0145
M-F 9:30 to 6PM Sat 10-4 Sun Closed

MAKE AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE!
Egg Donors REALLY Needed! $7000+
Women ages 20-29 can help another woman to finally get
pregnant! What a gift! Educate yourself about becoming
an ovum donor. Healthy, dependable, no drugs/smoking,
see www.fertilityconnections.com or Call 415/383-2553.

Coyote Valley Casino is expanding its cafe hours to 24
hour operation. We are seeking line cooks to
prepare/cook food and clean the kitchen. Qualifications
include 1-2 years of line cook experience and the ability to
speak and understand English. Call Jessica at
707.467.4752 or fax resume to 707.467.4771

Donate Your Auto 800.380.5257
We do all DMV. Free pick up- running or not (restrictions
apply). Live operators- 7 days! Help the Polly Klaas
Foundation provide safety information and assist
families in bringing kids home safely.

KOWS 107.3 www.kows.fm
Community Radio for the Kindom of
Occidental and West Sonoma

Narsi's Hof-Brau Finest
in Northern California
*Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner 707.545.6237*
Please see are Holiday Special in the Dining Section.
We are open on Mother's Day.
342 Coddingtown Mall, Santa Rosa.